July 19, 2007 — Ten percent of all resources dedicated to HIV programs should be set aside specifically for research, urges a new declaration announced by leaders of the International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention. Known as the Sydney Declaration, the statement has attracted more than 1,400 signatories from major AIDS organizations around the world, including amfAR.The Sydney Declaration, which was released shortly before the IAS meeting in Sydney, Australia, July 22–25, issues a strong call for scaling up research in resource-limited regions around the world. Noting that “Good research drives good policy,” the statement emphasizes the urgent need for a broad expansion of research efforts, from basic, clinical, and operational to social and policy research.
Recent increases in global funding for HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention have largely ignored the needs of research, according to the Declaration, but it “should not be seen as an additional burden on the various funding bodies or ministries of health.” Rather, research is the “only means by which we can refine our understanding of what is and is not effective.”
As ancillary benefits of expanded research efforts, the Sydney Declaration noted that scaling up research in the developing world will also result in a more highly trained body of health-care workers, and will strengthen the ability of the global AIDS community to refute the arguments of so-called AIDS denialists. “HIV professionals must continuously build on the evidence base to ensure sound and effective policies and practices in HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care,” the Declaration concludes.
