Meeting the challenges of the future with diversified research

Ever since it became known that the HI-virus causes AIDS, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has supported research in the fields of HIV/AIDS prevention, diagnosis, therapy and pathogenesis. As early as 1983, BMBF launched “AIDS”, a special programme that includes research projects in the natural and social sciences as well as assistance for students. In 1994, the AIDS research programme was integrated into the “Infectious Diseases” promotion measure. The priority area of this programme is research into mechanisms of infection and immunity in various infectious diseases. It was this step in particular that triggered off many network activities in the field of AIDS research in Germany.

Infectious diseases in general and HIV in particular are still among the Grand Challenges in health research. These Grand Challenges can only be met by an integrative effort bundling the scientific expertise in basic research, epidemiology, translational research, and clinical studies. In Germany, such expertise in infectious diseases is dispersed throughout the country and translational efforts have been scarce so far. Thus, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) initiated in 2012 the German Centre for Infection Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (DZIF). The new DZIF will foster the strategic coordination of concerted translational efforts aiming at novel diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic measures against the most important infectious diseases with a special unit dedicated to HIV/AIDS.

At international level, BMBF represents Germany in the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP). Since its inception in 2003, EDCTP has become an important global player in the development of new and improved medicines, vaccines and microbicides to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. A priority area in the activities of EDCTP is clinical studies of phases II and III in sub-Saharan Africa. Germany cooperates here with its European and African partners within a comprehensive programme for clinical studies, capacity-building and coordination of the research being done on both continents.

At European level, BMBF takes part as a strong partner in the new ERA-NET, coordinated by France (HIVERA, Harmonising, Integrating and Vitalising European Research on AIDS/HIV). In HIVERA, since May 2010 eight countries (Belgium, Estonia, Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Turkey) have undertaken joint efforts to coordinate their national research activities with each other better than in the past. HIVERA is supported by the European Commission as part of its Seventh Framework Plan for research.

Starting with the identification of potential synergies and possible ways to supplement one another’s efforts and with the concurrent integration of additional partner countries, HIVERA will be the launching point for trans-national research activities to meet the important future challenges involved in dealing with both the scientific and social aspects of HIV/AIDS.

Additional national and international activities are planned to seek answers to the diverse questions HIV/AIDS research must raise again and again.

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Federal Minister
Professor Dr Annette Schavan

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