AIDS VACCINE INITIATIVE 2001

Already more than 60 million men, women and children worldwide have been infected with HIV. More than 20 million of them have died. With 15,000 new HIV infections daily, there is no time to delay in developing a vaccine. This is one issue that crosses all national borders and needs the attention, resources and creativity of legislators, organizations and citizens working together.

For this campaign we worked closely with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), which is the world’s leading organization focused on the development of an AIDS vaccine and on ensuring access for the poorest citizens once it is developed. The campaign had three goals:

1. To gain signatures from citizens, organizations and legislators to IAVI’s Global Call for Action for an AIDS Vaccine;

2. To invite national legislators to join the AIDS Vaccine Caucus;

3. To invite organizations and individuals to join an informal AIDS Vaccine Network to work with the AIDS Vaccine Caucus that we expect to create.

We hope you will join us in taking action on this critically important issue. The effect of your action will be amplified by the same actions of thousands of others.

BACKGROUND

AIDS is the Great Plague of our modern era. Already the epidemic has claimed the lives of more than 20 million men, women and children worldwide. Fully 95% of new HIV infections are in developing countries, where AIDS is undermining economic stability, reversing decades of progress and devastating families and communities.

Amid global tragedy, a preventive vaccine for AIDS offers the best hope of ending the pandemic. The world has eradicated smallpox and has almost eliminated polio with vaccines. Human trials of promising AIDS vaccine candidates are underway; however, no AIDS vaccine is yet available. With 15,000 new HIV infections daily, there is no time to delay.

INTERNATIONAL AIDS VACINE INITIATIVE (IAVI) Global Call for Action for an AIDS Vaccine

We, the undersigned, urge all of the world’s leaders to take concrete action now to ensure the development of safe, effective and accessible preventive AIDS vaccines for use wherever they are needed.

We call for significant new resources to be devoted worldwide to AIDS vaccine research and development. In particular, new resources are needed for development of vaccines that will be applicable for developing countries. These funds must not be diverted from therapeutics or other prevention efforts.

We call for governments to commit the necessary resources to provide AIDS vaccines, when they are available, to all who need them without delay. This includes securing binding commitments for financing the purchase and delivery of vaccines for poor countries. Such a clear, unambiguous commitment must be made at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS and other international meetings.

We call for further involvement of industry in AIDS vaccine development, as most vaccine-making expertise and capacity reside there. The world’s leaders must find innovative ways to assure global access to AIDS vaccines while allowing a reasonable return for industry’s investments.

We call for support of human trials of vaccines, and we salute trial volunteers, the unsung heroes of vaccine development. Human testing is critical to determining whether a vaccine is effective. Therefore, the world must prioritize efficacy trials of the most promising vaccines. Many selfless men and women have already volunteered, and many more must follow their brave leadership.

We call for vaccine research and development to be part of a comprehensive strategy to fight the epidemic. The world must redouble its commitment to existing prevention programs, including education. And all who are sick with AIDS deserve the best treatment possible, regardless of where they live or ability to pay.

We call on the public sector of all nations to work with private industry, international agencies and non-governmental organizations to end the epidemic. No single country, company, organization, community or individual has the resources to go it alone. But each has a unique and essential contribution to make.

Twenty years into the epidemic, AIDS remains a global emergency that demands an effective response. A preventive vaccine is the best hope to end AIDS for all time.