Another year has passed and there's still no vaccine for HIV or cure
for AIDS.  Surprise, surprise!

Vaccinating against a non-existent virus or curing a condition that's
the result of lifestyle is a tall order.

<http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20071229/NEWS/712290420/-1/newssitemap>:

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First, there was the announcement that an experimental AIDS vaccine
from Merck & Co. had proved ineffective in an advanced trial and, even
worse, may have caused an increased susceptibility to HIV infection in
volunteers.

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Ooops!  And...

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We need to build on these insights as quickly as possible. We can't
afford the alternative, in financial or human terms. In September,
UNAIDS estimated that it would cost at least $45 billion a year by
2015 to achieve the Group of Eight's goal of providing a comprehensive
package of AIDS prevention, treatment and care to everyone who needs
it in the developing world. That estimate will decline along with the
revised epidemiological figures. But even with the drop in infection
rates, AIDS spending, barring a revolution in giving, would have to go
from one-tenth to one-quarter of all foreign aid to achieve the G-8
goal. What would get cut? Funds for basic health care? Agriculture?
Education? Clean water?

Focusing on the long-term goal of creating an AIDS vaccine is
undeniably hard. The world is spending some $900 million a year on the
effort, up from less than $200 million a decade ago. It is still a
minimal investment, but it is one that will ultimately prove
cost-effective: A preventive vaccine is the only intervention that
could ultimately eliminate the need for all others.

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