WORLDWIDE CONTACT US ABOUT US INVENTING FOR LIFE PRODUCTS RESEARCH LICENSING NEWSROOM CAREERS INVESTORS Home OUR WORK IN HIV Since the first HIV products became available nearly three decades ago, we have worked to expand access to our medicines, build healthcare infrastructure, and address health and development challenges around the world. IN THE U.S. 1.1 MILLION An estimated 1.1 million people in the U.S. were living with HIV at the end of 2015. 1 in 7 people living with HIV did not know it. Approximately 36.7 MILLION people were living with HIV worldwide at the end of 2016 Approximately 1.8 MILLION people globally became newly infected with HIV in 2016 70% It is estimated that currently only 70 percent of people with HIV know their status around the world OUR 30-YEAR COMMITMENT TO HIV/AIDS In the mid-1980s, Merck began its clinical HIV research in response to what the company perceived as a potential epidemic – our scientists were among the first to discover and develop medicines for the treatment of HIV. Today, a future where HIV/AIDS can be a manageable illness is closer, in part, because of Merck’s response to the crisis. LEARN MORE IT TAKES A MULTIFACETED APPROACH TO IMPROVE ACCESS We continue to explore ways to enhance access to our HIV medicines, particularly in the developing world, and through partnerships that seek to strengthen health systems to better deliver prevention and treatment services. Clearly, the need is too great for any one stakeholder to address, requiring coordinated efforts among many. We are committed to working with governments, donors, innovative and generic manufacturers, multilateral organizations and civil society to address the full range of factors affecting access. LEARN MORE LIVING WITH HIV “ I’m sorry to tell you this…you’ve tested positive for HIV.” The year was 1995, but Merck HIV Community Liaison Catherine Elliott remembers it as though it happened yesterday. READ CATHERINE’S STORY PUTTING HIV INTO PERSPECTIVE LEARN MORE Updated April 2018 Copyright. © 2009-2018 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Forward-Looking Statement Privacy Terms of Use Site Map