Investment to fight HIV in women

A major new investment is set to help tackle the global HIV epidemic throughout the world.

Sources including the UK Department for International Development have given a grant to the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) to reinforce the commitment to fighting AIDS throughout the globe.

Developing microbicides in order to give women the chance to prevent HIV infection has been made a priority for the investment, which also came from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Dr Zeda Rosenberg, chief executive officer of IPM, applauded the commitment being shown to the continuing fight against AIDS.

"Safe and effective microbicides have the potential to save millions of lives by giving women an HIV prevention option that they can initiate and control," he said.

"Taken together, these grants by two of IPM's longstanding donors will provide additional momentum to deliver on this promise."

World Health Organisation statistics show that two-thirds of all HIV infections occur in sub-Saharan Africa.