title: Implications of prioritizing HIV cure: new momentum to overcome old challenges in HIV.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Curing HIV is a new strategic priority for several major AIDS organizations. In step with this new priority, HIV cure research and related programs are advancing in low, middle, and high-income country settings. This HIV cure momentum may influence existing HIV programs and research priorities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the early stage of ongoing HIV cure efforts, these changes have directly influenced HIV research funding priorities, pilot programs, and HIV messaging. The building momentum to cure HIV infection may synergize with strategic priorities to better identify adults and infants with very early HIV infection. Although HIV cure represents a new goal, many existing programs and research techniques can be repurposed towards an HIV cure. HIV messages focused on engaging communities towards an HIV cure need to be careful to promote ARV adherence and retention within the HIV continuum of care. An increased emphasis within the AIDS field on finding an HIV cure has several important implications. Strengthening connections between HIV cure research and other areas of HIV research may help to catalyze research and facilitate implementation in the future.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. jdtucker@med.unc.edu.|International Diagnostics Centre, Keppel Street, London, WCE1, UK. jdtucker@med.unc.edu.|, 2 Lujing Road, Guangzhou, 510095, China. jdtucker@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Joseph D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.affiliation: Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. algilber@email.unc.edu.|Center for Bioethics, Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. algilber@email.unc.edu.|School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. algilber@email.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gilbertson
authors.affiliation: HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections Unit, Division of Communicable Diseases, World Health Organization, Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines. loy@wpro.who.int.
authors.forename: Ying-Ru
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.affiliation: Treatment and Care Unit, HIV/AIDS Department, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. vitoriam@who.int.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vitória
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D014943:Global Health; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health