Empowering Women To Protect Themselves Against HIV

More than three decades after HIV first emerged, the world continues to fight this epidemic. Despite significant advances in our understanding of the disease and ways to treat and prevent it, 1.7 million people became newly infected last year, and 38 million people globally live with the disease. HIV disproportionately affects young women in developing countries: approximately 6,000 young women aged 15-24 years become infected with HIV each week; in sub-Saharan Africa, women in this age range make up the majority of new infections and are twice as likely to be living with HIV than men.

Though clinical trials for an HIV vaccine are underway, women need options to prevent HIV infections today. That’s why I’m excited that the dapivirine ring – a new discreet, effective, long-acting vaginal ring – received a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) this week.

The CHMP’s positive opinion opens the door to seek approvals for the ring in countries where the need is most urgent. If approved, the ring would become the first long-acting HIV prevention product, and would strengthen the prevention toolkit available to women in sub-Saharan Africa, who are disproportionately impacted by HIV, and in need of solutions to fit their lives.

The ring was developed by the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM), under an exclusive license from Johnson & Johnson. I’m incredibly proud of our work with organizations like IPM. It is an example of how committed public-private partnerships can address entrenched global epidemics, such as HIV, and demonstrate the power of this model for bringing new therapies and technologies to patients.  

In light of the many public health challenges facing the world today, I’m hopeful that successful innovations like the dapivirine ring will drive greater collaboration among the global public health community so we can better control infectious diseases for people around the world. 

#GlobalHealth #makeHIVhistory #JNJ