Prime Minister Harper announces funding for HIV/AIDS vaccine research

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Good morning.

On behalf of the Government of Canada, it gives me great pleasure to welcome Bill Gates to Ottawa.

In addition to achieving enormous success in the business world, Bill Gates is one of the most generous philanthropists in history.

Through their foundation, Bill and his wife, Melinda, have donated billions of dollars to worthy causes around the world, and in doing so have touched an untold number of lives.

While the Gates Foundation has been active in a number of charitable fields, the Foundation is best known for its funding of global health initiatives.

And it’s such an initiative that has brought us together today.

I certainly don’t need to tell those in attendance that the global HIV/AIDS pandemic is one of the most heart-wrenching health crises the world has ever seen.

Forty million people currently infected, over 25 million dead, and millions of children orphaned.

HIV/AIDS is a killer that must be stopped.

While the ultimate goal is to develop a cure, we must also work on preventative measures to halt the spread of this disease.

Today, I’m pleased to announce the establishment of the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative.

This collaboration between Canada’s New Government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is going to contribute to the global effort to develop safe, effective, affordable, and globally accessible HIV vaccines.

The benefits of the Canadian initiative with the Gates Foundation will be numerous.

This partnership will allow us to: 

Accelerate the pace toward the discovery of an HIV vaccine;

Construct a facility to manufacture promising vaccines for clinical trials;

Move vaccines to the clinical trial stage more quickly;

Improve access to an eventual vaccine; and

Coordinate the activities of Canadian and international researchers to ensure Canada’s contribution to the global HIV vaccine enterprise is as effective as possible.

Ladies and gentlemen, there is no doubt: the development of an effective HIV vaccine is one of the greatest scientific challenges of our time.

But Canada is up to the task, because we’re a global leader.

Through today’s initiative, Canada, in partnership with the Gates Foundation, will provide the resources necessary to help realize this worthy goal, thus sparing millions of people from the horrific reality of HIV/AIDS. 

Thank you.