Moffat, Laura

That this House notes that levels of HIV infection are rising globally and over 38 million people worldwide are living with HIV, with women in developing countries disproportionately affected; acknowledges that existing HIV prevention methods help to reduce the risk of HIV transmission and acquisition and should be made available urgently to those who need them, but that existing prevention methods are not enough, particularly for women, due to a combination of biological, social and cultural factors; notes that new prevention technologies such as microbicides and vaccines are designed to complement current prevention efforts and could offer protection from HIV and increase the effectiveness of HIV prevention efforts, and will ultimately benefit women and men all over the world, in the UK as well as countries with a high HIV prevalence; acknowledges that progress has been made in the search for new prevention technologies such as microbicides and vaccines but that challenges remain; welcomes the UK's contribution to the research and development of microbicides and vaccines; and calls upon the Government to use its influence to urge the international community to recognise the importance of investing in new technologies as a vital part of the comprehensive response required to tackle effectively HIV and AIDS.