Modest global HIV cure funding increases sustained in 2018
In a new report, amfAR has been named the second largest HIV cure research funder in the world—second only to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Released at the 10th IAS Conference on HIV Science in Mexico City, Global Investment in HIV Cure Research and Development in 2018 shows total global investments continuing to steadily increase.
amfAR is proud to be recognized for its commitment to HIV cure research.—Dr. Rowena JohnstonThe report—compiled by the Cure Resource Tracking Group, a collaboration between AVAC and the International AIDS Society—estimates global investments in HIV cure research of $323.9 million in 2018, a 12 percent increase over the $288.8 million invested in 2017. Compared to the $88.1 million invested since tracking began in 2012, this is a 268 percent increase.
The public sector accounted for the majority of funding, with the remaining $19.7 million invested by philanthropies. amfAR accounted for more than half of all philanthropic investment, with $10.9 million in funding last year.
“amfAR is proud to be recognized for its commitment to HIV cure research,” said Dr. Rowena Johnston, amfAR Vice President and Director of Research. “We remain steadfast in our pursuit of the most innovative and promising paths toward a cure.”
“The inclusion of ‘cure’ in the global response should not direct funding away from treatment, prevention and care programmes, or from biomedical research on HIV and its consequences, including vaccine and other prevention research,” noted the report’s authors. “However, it is imperative that donors, governments and the AIDS community make a viable and sustained economic investment in HIV cure research.”
Read the full report here.