Avaccine is crucial to end the epi demic over the long term, according to civil society, research and policy experts who spoke at a roundtable session - AIDS Vaccines – 2010 and Beyond, Charting a course for the future of AIDS vaccine research. The roundtable was sponsored by IAVI and the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise at the recent XVII International AIDS conference in Mexico City.

The number of new infections in 2007 out paced the progress made in providing access to treatment pointed out Dr. David Kihumuro Apuuli, Director General, Uganda AIDS Commission. Quoting UNAIDS estimates, he said that to meet the goal of universal access, it would cost approximately US$54 billion each year to provide ARVs to those in need in low- and middle-income countries by 2015, which was simply not possible.

"Good research drives good policy and programming," said the Executive Director of the International AIDS Society, Craig McClure. He urged the participants to reflect, to go back to the drawing board, to learn what has been achieved so far and to explore new ideas coming from the scientific field He was, he said, issuing a clarion call for strengthening health systems, laboratory facilities and voluntary counselling and testing services.

The world's ability to control AIDS in the future will depend on research and progress in prevention, including vaccines. There will be no greater tool to end this epidemic than a preventive AIDS vaccine. What STEP and Merck trials have