Menu OUR 30-YEAR COMMITMENT TO HIV/AIDS In 1982, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first used the term “AIDS,” or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, to describe the clinical syndrome caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). 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. Since the first HIV products became available nearly two decades ago, Merck has worked to expand access to our medicines, build healthcare infrastructure, and address health and development challenges around the world. Merck maintains longstanding efforts to deliver its medicines to those who need it most, including differential pricing, voluntary licensing, public-private partnerships, philanthropic programs, and continued research and development efforts in HIV. WATCH THE VIDEO: "TOGETHER FOR 30 YEARS AND COUNTING" THE MERCK FOUNDATION HAS CONTRIBUTED MORE THAN $122 MILLION OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS TO HELP ADDRESS BARRIERS TO HIV CARE ACROSS THE GLOBE, $ 110 MILLION 14 YEARS WITH PROGRAMS FOCUSED IN BOTSWANA, CHINA AND THE U.S., INCLUDING: HIV CARE COLLABORATIVE for Underserved Populations in the U.S.: initiative launched to connect more people living with HIV to the care they need to stay healthy THE AFRICAN COMPREHENSIVE HIV/AIDS PARTNERSHIPS (ACHAP): program established in 2000 with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support Botswana, a country disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS CHINA-MSD HIV/AIDS PARTNERSHIP (C-MAP): a comprehensive AIDS initiative in China Drawing from our passion for improving health, Merck continues to embrace today’s challenges in HIV treatment. Copyright. © 2009-2017 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Forward-Looking Statement Privacy Terms of Use Site Map