Three Perspectives on Two Big HIV Prevention Trials in Latest Px Pulse Podcast

The February episode of the Px Pulse podcast is up and brings you three perspectives on two recently launched major trials in HIV prevention: HPTN 084 testing a long-acting injectable antiretroviral called cabotegravir and HVTN 705/HPX 2008 testing a “mosaic” vaccine.

  • What opportunities stand out in an advocate’s eyes as these trials enroll?
  • What’s a mosaic vaccine?
  • What’s the status of ethical standards at trial sites?

Explore these issues and more in this episode of Px Pulse, AVAC’s podcast on HIV prevention research today.

You’ll hear from Malawi’s veteran advocate Maureen Luba, Zimbabwe-based bioethicist Paul Ndebele and leading scientist Dan Barouch.

In a hurry? Select among the podcast highlights.

And don’t forget to tell us what you think!

New Px Wire — 2018: Countdowns and counting what matters

The first issue of AVAC’s quarterly newsletter for 2018 is here! It’s designed to help you mark your calendars and make your advocacy plans for critical events in the next 12 months. These include:

  • The upcoming country deadlines for creating roadmaps to implement the priorities laid out by the UNAIDS’ Global Prevention Coalition. This work is supposed to jump-start primary prevention and bring down the rate of new diagnoses by 75 percent by 2020. Will it? Only if you get involved!
  • In the coming weeks, PEPFAR and many stakeholders will gather to develop targets, service delivery approaches and comprehensive plans for testing, prevention, treatment and virologic suppression in PEPFAR countries. It’s a key process for civil society to track. Find out how!
  • In 2019, the ECHO trial is expected to release its results on whether three different contraceptive methods impact women’s risk of HIV—but preparation for these trial results is starting now! Get involved!
  • Seven major efficacy trials of biomedical prevention tools are currently underway—read on to find out where, what and how to learn more.

This issue of Px Wire also includes a detailed infographic showing the status of oral PrEP rollout in the countries where trial sites are located. And don’t miss the infographic explaining the demographics of Africa’s “youth bulge” and its implications for the global response.

Find the full issue of Px Wire and the archive of past issues at www.avac.org/pxwire.

Announcing the 2018 AVAC Advocacy Fellows

AVAC is delighted to announce the 2018 AVAC Advocacy Fellows—the ninth class of Fellows! Please join us in congratulating these seven talented advocates.

The 2018 Advocacy Fellows were selected from a pool of over 125 applicants from over 26 countries across the globe. We thank all of the applicants and their proposed host organizations for the time and effort put into this process. We’re also grateful to the independent review committee of advocates, scientists and former Fellows and Hosts who guided our decision-making.

The 2018 Advocacy Fellows are:

The 2018 Fellows’ year begins in April against a backdrop of promise and challenge. Long-acting injectable PrEP and vaccines are both in large-scale trials. Rates of new HIV diagnoses are falling in some places, and not in others. Key primary interventions, like VMMC, compete for funding in the context of finite country budgets; as does programming for newer strategies, like PrEP.

The 2018 Fellows join a fantastic group of 56 current Advocacy Fellows and Alumni from eight sub-Saharan African countries and China who have participated in the program since its inception in 2010. Please visit the Advocacy Fellows page to learn more about the new Fellows’ planned work for the year. We hope you’ll find ways to collaborate with them in 2018 and beyond.

A Call for Applications for the 2019 Fellows Program will be announced this June with an application deadline in August. If you would like to be notified of the 2019 Call for Applications or have any questions, please email us at fellows@avac.org.

Did the South African Government Waste R127 Million on a Condom No One Wanted?

Johannesburg’s Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism has published this article by Tian Johnson on how South Africa can make smart investments in the female condom. Read on for details on the difference demand creation and counseling can make.