Aids is now the leading cause of death in parts of Africa.
The IAVI will use the funds to develop Aids vaccines for developing countries based on local strains of the virus. The 14m will also support research into developing methods of marketing vaccines in an affordable way. The cash will finance a task force which is being set up to target people at greatest risk from the disease. Initial efforts will be targeted at Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland. It lays a crippling burden on societies already afflicted by gross inequalities and is sharply reducing life expectancy in many countries.