Dear all,

We want to inform you that the SHCS will be funded at the same level as before from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) for 2016 and 2017. This decision was based on a competitive intermediary evaluation by the SNSF that all cohorts in the cohort program had to undergo. The evaluation was very favorable.

At this time, we want first to thank

• all the patients participating in the SHCS

We also thank all of you who are working tireless for the SHCS

• study nurses, physicians at the cohort centers and HIV-practitioners
• technicians, FAMH physicians taking care of the biobank
• the data managers, the data center, the coordination center, all the administrative support we get at all levels
• the Positivrat for actively participating in the SHCS Scientific Board
• the many PhD, Postdocs and master students who work in the research labs and in front of their computers analyzing all the data that is being generated on the many exciting research projects that are ongoing in the SHCS
• all the national and international collaborators with whom the SHCS works together
• the SNSF for funding, the SHCS research foundation
• pharmaceutical companies
  • AbbVie, Gilead, MSD, ViiV for support of the SHCS research foundation by unrestricted grants to support the SHCS core projects
  • AbbVie, BMS, Gilead, Janssen, MSD, ViiV for the collaboration with the SHCS association.
  • Some companies also support specific investigator initiated studies. We also thank you for this.

For 2016, we hope to finalize our negotiations with the FOPH (BAG) and hope that soon a very fruitful and synergistic collaboration between the SHCS and the FOPH will start with the ultimate goal to reduce HIV transmission, to get further insights into transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, to further optimize antiretroviral therapy and also to get insights what comorbidity means in the long run.

Thanks again for all your continuous support of the SHCS and we are looking forward to 2016: the 28^th year the SHCS is alive!

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Huldrych Günthard	Andri Rauch	Hansjakob Furrer
President of the SHCS	Chairman of the Scientific Board	Chairman of the Clinical and Laboratory Board