Publications

Oral PrEP is an additional HIV prevention option for individuals at substantial risk of HIV exposure that will be effective as part of a comprehensive response to HIV. The World Health Organization (WHO) anticipates releasing updated guidance on oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), containing tenofovir (TDF), as an additional HIV prevention choice. The new guidance is likely to be significantly broader than previously and creates real opportunities to move forward with implementing PrEP as part of comprehensive HIV programmes. This publication, produced collaboratively between UNAIDS, WHO and AVAC, is intended to complement WHO recommendations and support the optimal use of oral PrEP to protect individuals and contribute to ending the AIDS epidemic.

This briefing paper provides an overview of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for people planning, commissioning or providing HIV prevention activities in the UK. It does this by reviewing thirty key questions about PrEP and how it might be implemented in the UK. PrEP is an HIV prevention strategy that uses antiretroviral drugs to protect HIV-negative people from HIV infection. People take antiretrovirals (ARVs) when they are at risk of exposure to HIV, in order to lower their risk of infection. Research suggests that PrEP is highly efficacious in preventing the sexual transmission of HIV, as long as the drugs are taken regularly, as directed. However, PrEP does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy.

As world leaders meet to discuss the future of financing for development1, this report from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that funding to address HIV in low- and middle-income countries from nine of fourteen donor governments assessed either declined or remained flat in 2014; funding from five governments increased. Donor government funding for HIV overall grew by less than 2 percent, totaling US$8.64 billion in 2014. After adjusting for inflation and exchange rate changes, the increase was marginal (1%). Still, this was its highest level to date. Most of the increase in HIV funding in 2014 can be attributed to the United Kingdom, without which overall disbursements would have dropped. In addition, contributions to Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund), an increasing channel of HIV support for some donors over time, went up overall, while bilateral funding went down. Funding from the United States, the largest donor to HIV in the world, was essentially flat.

In its eleventh annual report, the HIV Vaccines and Microbicides Resource Tracking Working Group (the “Working Group”) documents biomedical HIV prevention research and development (R and D) spending for the calendar year 2014, as well as reports on an analysis of investment trends spanning fourteen years. The Working Group generates estimates of R and D investment that can be compared year to year across options and strategies and funding sources, helping assess the impact of public policies aimed at accelerating scientific progress and to provide facts for advocacy. This effort provides transparency for funders, policy makers and HIV/AIDS advocates so they can better understand and track investment flows.

In 2015 the Alliance received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to lead a programme of work on Primary Care Systems Profiles & Performance (PRIMASYS) in collaboration with the WHO Department for Service Delivery and Safety. This programme aims to bridge the knowledge gap on frontline healthcare delivery systems at national and subnational levels. Twenty case studies on primary care systems will be developed across select low- and middle-income countries between 2015-2018. Countries will receive a small grant to develop the case study and will benefit from the technical and scientific support of the Alliance to collect and report data and information pertaining to primary care services, structures and processes. The country case studies developed will be used to draw cross-cutting lessons to inform the performance of primary care systems.

The Abstract Mentor Programme provides an opportunity for early-career abstract submitters to receive feedback from experienced abstract submitters on their draft abstracts. The programme links participants to mentors within the same track to maximize the use of the mentors’ expertise. Mentoring support was complemented by an online e-course on conference abstract writing. This year, 80 mentors reviewed 156 draft abstracts for 124 researchers, offering them an opportunity to improve their submissions. 116 mentees finally submitted an abstract for IAS 2015.

The Hong Kong STD/AIDS update is a composite report on HIV/AIDS reporting and STI caseload statistics published 3 monthly. The current issue has the updated information up to June 2015.

Evidence, on the nature and impact of violence, as well as what works to reduce and respond to risk of harm and HIV, is increasing. In recent years, a series of key studies and global and regional guidance has been released. This brief brings together the latest findings and recommendations for advocates, programmers and policy-makers, to identify priorities and implement effective policy and program strategies for putting this growing body of knowledge into practice.

Schools and governments throughout Asia-Pacific are moving beyond the idea that dealing with issues around sexual orientation and gender identity/expression (SOGI/E) is "too sensitive" or "too new". A recent regional consultation on the basis of SOGI/E reflected the sentiment of one Ministry of Education official from the region who told UNESCO: "It will always be sensitive or new if we never do anything about it." Ministries and concerned stakeholders throughout the region are taking action and their successes as well as the challenges that lie ahead were discussed at the Asia-Pacific Consultation on School Bullying on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity/Expression held from 15-17 June 2015 in Bangkok. A detailed, illustrated 49-page report on the results of the consultation with summaries of all sessions, key recommendations and suggested next steps by countries.

A child’s chance to survive and thrive is much greater in 2015 than it was when the global community committed to the MDGs in 2000. Data show significant progress in areas such as child survival, nutrition, motherto-child transmission of HIV and primary school enrolment, among others. These are impressive achievements, but they are only part of the story. This report also shows progress for the most vulnerable, proving that a more equitable world is within reach. But despite this progress, millions of the children in greatest need have been left behind – the most marginalized and vulnerable children whose future the MDGs were designed to safeguard.