Merck actively engages with stakeholders involved in HIV and AIDS outreach and public policy through a number of mechanisms. In the United States, Merck has established an HIV Community Advisory Board that includes 15 HIV community leaders. Merck meets with the board 3 to 4 times each year to discuss new data, clinical trial design and marketing and access strategies. Merck also meets regularly with the European Community Advisory Board of the European AIDS Treatment Group to discuss similar issues.

In addition, Merck engages with stakeholders in public policy discussions through numerous forums and initiatives.  These include:

• AIDS2031 — a consortium of partners that aims to change the face of the HIV and AIDS pandemic by 2031. The initiative brings together multi-disciplinary teams — including economists, epidemiologists, biomedical, social and political scientists — to question conventional wisdom, stimulate new research, encourage public debate, and uncover new evidence.
• As a member of the Private Sector Delegation of the Global Fund ( PDF*) since 2002, Merck has been instrumental in helping to expand the Global Fund's engagement with the private sector through co-investment, involvement in country coordinating mechanisms, policy development, resource mobilization and advocacy. 
• Merck also engages with stakeholders at various scientific and policy events throughout the year. A few key recent events include:
  • The second Global Experts Summit, entitled "Leading by Example in the Public Health Approach to Antiretroviral Treatment (ART)", was held in Vancouver, Canada in February 2009.  Merck participated in this meeting to help develop expert consensus on research needed to optimize the individual and societal benefits of the public health approach to delivering ART.
  • At the Second Eastern European and Central Asian AIDS Conference in May 2008 in Moscow, Merck met with Eastern European and Central Asian community members to discuss research and access to treatment issues.
  • At the International AIDS Conference in August 2008 in Mexico City, Merck hosted an informal roundtable with HIV and AIDS experts from academe and the nongovernmental organization community on a range of issues concerning the response to HIV in Africa and the economic impact of the epidemic. The Company also hosted an informal meeting with the HIV community to listen and respond to issues and concerns as well as to provide updated information on Merck's clinical research and patient access programs.

The content on this page was last modified on September 15, 2009.

Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA, and Schering-Plough Corporation, Kenilworth, NJ, USA, are now one company. We have combined our global operations under the name Merck & Co., Inc. We are working to update our corporate responsibility Web site to reflect our new, combined, global organization.