Bill and Melinda Gates today called upon world leaders to „put the power to prevent HIV in the hands of women“ by accelerating the search for microbicides and other new HIV prevention tools. Bill Gates said he thought the discovery of an effective microbicide or oral prevention drug to reduce HIV transmission could be „the next big breakthrough in the fight against AIDS.“ They also called for increased global access to HIV prevention and treatment, and greater advocacy to break the stigma of AIDS.
Mr. and Mrs. Gates, co-chairs of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, addressed the opening ceremony of the 16th International AIDS Conference, a gathering of more than 24,000 scientists, advocates, and health workers from around the world.
Bill Gates said there is „a new sense of optimism“ in Africa because „the world is doing far more than ever before to fight AIDS.“ He commended the progress of initiatives such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, which he called „a fantastic vehicle for scaling up the treatments and preventive tools we have today.“ Last week, the Gates Foundation pledged $500 million to the Global Fund, and encouraged other donors to step up their contributions.
Noting that „stopping AIDS“ is the Gates Foundation’s „top priority,“ Mr. Gates emphasized that „we have to do a much better job on prevention“ to avert millions of new HIV infections and keep pace with the rapidly-growing demand for treatment. „Treatment without prevention is simply unsustainable,“ he said.
News Source: www.gatesfoundation.org