ANRS MIE New Year's message

2023 was an enriching year for research

It saw the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the AIDS virus by Institut Pasteur Paris on 20 May 1983. An anniversary marked by an international symposium co-organised by Institut Pasteur and ANRS Emerging Infectious Diseases (MIE), which looked back over the major scientific advances and discoveries in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

2023 was an important year for us at ANRS MIE, in which we released our strategic directions for 2023-2027 and reported on our vision, missions, objectives, priorities and the collaborative methods we uphold.

It was also in 2023, within the framework of France 2030, that 11 projects were selected following the Emerging Infectious Diseases Priority Research Programmes and Equipment (PEPR MIE) 2023 call for proposals in order to better understand and prepare a response to emerging infectious diseases. Alongside this, generic calls for proposals were launched in HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as well as the calls for proposals in emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases, in particular in low- and middle-income countries (LMCIs).

2023 was also an exceptional year for our international collaborations. The establishment of Platforms for International Global Health Research (PRISMEs) in Côte d’Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of Congo, along with new prospects for partnerships with South Africa, Brazil and Germany, hold the promise of exciting projects in both our long-standing domains and in emerging infectious diseases. Another reason to celebrate is the extension of the partnership signed in June 2022 between ANRS MIE and WHO to add tuberculosis to the existing domains of HIV, hepatitis and STIs. We also co-organised the 11th EDCTP Forum, which took place in France.

In addition to environmental upheavals, the year 2023 saw significant political and socio-economic changes. As a result, we at ANRS MIE find ourselves in a rapidly evolving context at the beginning of 2024.

In 2024, what are our strategic objectives in the face of new epidemiological, geopolitical and environmental realities?

In line with the French Global Health Strategy 2023-2027, we will also enhance our international presence to address global health challenges: establishing new partnerships and actively engaging in strategic European and international networks, in particular EDCTP, WHO and UNITAID, while continuing to take a One Health approach to our scientific work.

Our vision is the elimination of HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STIs and tuberculosis as global public health issues; our mission is to promote and fund a multidisciplinary research agenda in order to tackle this goal.

Forty years after the discovery of the AIDS virus, thanks to the ongoing efforts of the scientific community and affected communities, we now have effective treatments and powerful medical prevention methods at our fingertips. However, the annual rate of new HIV diagnoses is decreasing too slowly, and mobilisation must remain a current concern.

The agency is also fully committed to the field of emerging infectious diseases, particularly viral haemorrhagic fevers, arboviruses and emerging respiratory infections, including COVID-19. As a key player, inter-institutional leader and research accelerator, ANRS MIE has strengthened its coordinating role in France and internationally. As part of the PEPR MIE, we have developed an ambitious research programme for the next three years to prepare a response to epidemic crises.

Within Inserm, and in collaboration with our various institutional, public and private partners, we continue to develop integrated approaches to foster a multidisciplinary approach. Our current programmes include the ongoing search for vaccines (HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and priority emerging pathogens), the cure programme (concerning HIV, HBV and HDV), community-based participatory research (triple elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, HBV and syphilis) and the mathematical modelling of epidemics.

ANRS MIE is an autonomous Inserm’s agency for researchers and research. Our mission is to be a cornerstone of research into HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STIs, tuberculosis and emerging infectious diseases, both in France and worldwide. In our new strategic plan, we have opted to focus on the training and support of young researchers.

As part of the expansion of our activities, we are currently broadening our scientific and organisational links with various partners, as well as the internal organisation of our agency. We have reinforced our teams and procedures with the arrival of additional staff, both experienced and junior, for our operations and the funding of our projects.