October 7, 2024
As the HIV Research for Prevention (HIVR4P) conference opens in Lima, Peru, AVAC and partners are thrilled to introduce the People’s Research Agenda: Community & Advocacy Priorities in HIV Prevention Research and Development to help guide what will be—and should be—discussed at the meeting and beyond.
The People’s Research Agenda (PRA) is a global initiative driven by communities and advocates to envision an inclusive HIV prevention pipeline and ensure the voices of those most affected by HIV are integrated into HIV prevention research and development.
As the global community gathers, in person and virtually, this week in Peru (check out our conference guide here), the field is at a critical juncture—with a range of new ARV-based prevention products approved and in delivery, HIV vaccine and antibody studies in complex stages, and HIV incidence still far too high to hit global targets for ending the epidemic.
As options have increased, resources for research, implementation science and delivery have flattened or dwindled. And even as new ARV-based PrEP options have entered the market, the majority of next-generation prevention options are in upstream safety, dosing and immunogenicity trials.
This context intensifies the stakes for decisions about which products to develop—and how to develop them. The PRA meets this high-stakes moment for HIV prevention with a clear, concise and collaboratively developed set of priorities for how prevention research should be conducted and what products should be developed.
Developed through a collaborative community-inclusive process, supported by AVAC, CASPR, PEPFAR and USAID, the PRA is a living document, to be used as a tool for communities to amplify their priorities and for funders, product developers and policy leaders to keep at hand as crucial decision are made about what to invest in, where and why.
Tell us what you think! Email avac@avac.org.