Funding Roadblocks Stall Progress On Vaginal Microbicide To Fight HIV

Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology;  Sexual Health / STDs
Article Date: 08 Sep 2010 - 3:00 PDT


Donors have not committed enough money to move forward with two studies needed to confirm the efficacy of a vaginal microbicidal gel infused with the antiviral drug tenofovir to prevent HIV transmission in women, the New York Times reports. UNAIDS said that only about $58 million of the $100 million needed for follow-up research on the gel has been pledged, which would not be enough money for even one of the two trials.

During a UNAIDS conference in South Africa last week, scientists and public health experts called for two additional trials and for efforts to promote and distribute the microbicide through family planning programs. The original study of the gel found that women who used it before and after sex were 39% less likely to become infected with HIV compared with women who used a placebo. Women who used the gel most regularly reduced their risk of infection by 54%. Researchers had planned to lead one confirmatory study in South Africa, where about 5.7 million people are HIV-positive, and a second study in five other southern African nations.

Many donor countries and groups have shifted their global health goals away from HIV/AIDS toward other issues, such as maternal health, and tightened their budgets. Researchers say that the U.S. and South African governments have pledged a majority of the money so far, while the British Department for International Development has committed nothing. Officials with the British agency, which had been a major supporter of microbicide research, said the government's current priorities are maternal and child health, malaria and tuberculosis. The agency said in a statement that future decisions on spending "will be made based on impact on poverty eradication on the ground."

Researchers also are concerned that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has not committed major funding for the trials, despite being one of the largest philanthropic supporters of microbicide research, according to the Times. Stefano Bertozzi, head of the foundation's AIDS programs, said the foundation was excited about the results of the first trials but plans to focus on riskier, longer-term research.

Public health advocates say that any delay in starting the trials could be deadly. A majority of the 22 million people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa are women, and an effective microbicide could protect women whose partners refuse to use condoms (Dugger, New York Times, 9/4).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families.

© 2010 National Partnership for Women & Families. All rights reserved.

• Additional
• References
• Citations