Science: We still need to beat HIV
François Dabis, director of the French Research Agency on HIV and Viral Hepatitis (ANRS), and Linda-Gail Bekker, president of the International AIDS Society (IAS)

“Despite remarkable advances in HIV treatment and prevention, the limited political will and leadership in many countries … have fallen short of translating these gains into action. … The Paris Statement describes five scientific priority areas for building a new public health agenda that meets the challenge of this ongoing epidemic in the face of shrinking resources. Vaccine research and development should be globally coordinated and supported through public-private partnerships. Simpler and efficient [antiretroviral therapy (ART)] drug formulations are needed for long-term use. Biomedical preventive and therapeutic measures must be tailored to at-risk groups and key populations through multidisciplinary, evidence-based approaches to test, prevent or treat, and retain in care, while addressing stigma and discrimination. HIV persistence and viral control mechanisms must be understood through basic research to envision a functional or complete cure. Economic research and innovative financing models should be devised to ensure that new strategies can be universally applied at full scale while also strengthening health systems. The foundation of all five priorities requires funding to pull society through this next collective drive to end the pandemic…” (7/28).