Engaging the US government is vital to advocacy for HIV prevention, as one of the world’s largest contributors to implementation and research and development. The reach and scale of US funded global health programs have profound impact on the lives and health of people in the US and around the world. Two coalitions, founded by advocates, make it their central mission to inform and influence the US federal government to advance funding and policies to end the HIV epidemic.
What You Should Know About the FAPP, GAPP and PEPFAR Reauthorization
What is PrEP Access Right Now and What’s Next in 2024?
AVAC is thrilled to see the launch of injectable cabotegravir for PrEP (injectable CAB) in Zambia—the first program outside of the US to do so. And the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation in South Africa recently announced “the first jab” of injectable CAB administered in its FASTPrEP study.
What is PrEP Access Right Now and What’s Next in 2024?
AVAC is thrilled to see the launch of injectable cabotegravir for PrEP (injectable CAB) in Zambia—the first program outside of the US to do so. And recently, the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation in South Africa also announced “the first jab” of injectable CAB administered in its FASTPrEP study.
New issue of POSITIVELY AWARE points the way towards a more equitable future
There is a new special issue of the magazine POSITIVELY AWARE, co-edited by Kenyon Farrow, AVAC’s communications director, and Jim Pickett, AVAC’s senior advisor and lead of the Choice Agenda, that explores the impact of long-acting injectable treatment and PrEP.
New COMPASS Governance Structure to Accelerate HIV Policy and Advocacy
Pangaea Zimbabwe selected as new Secretariat
AVAC and Pangaea Zimbabwe are thrilled to announce Pangaea Zimbabwe’s new leadership of the Coalition to build Momentum, Power, Activism, Strategy & Solidarity (COMPASS), a historic milestone in the development of innovative models for power-sharing in coalition and an important step toward decolonizing global health.
Launched in 2017, COMPASS is a civil society coalition with 29 organizations working in three countries as well as regionally and globally, using data-driven advocacy to improve the HIV response with high-impact campaigns. Its achievements to date have set new standards for mobilization and advocacy, improving laws and policies, increasing investment in programs, elevating the leadership of affected communities in the HIV response, and holding all stakeholders to account for targets, commitments and impact.
In December 2023, Pangaea Zimbabwe signed a new two-year, $4.9 million grant agreement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as the new secretariat of COMPASS. For the first 6 years, AVAC served in this role, and worked with a coalition-wide governance committee to develop a clear transition plan for COMPASS to be led by African civil society organizations.
“Since 2017, we’ve been breaking new ground under COMPASS. We’ve expanded our networks and brought together the superpowers of new and seasoned advocates who have diverse strengths and have joined together to develop and share technical expertise and winning strategies,” said Imelda Mahaka, executive director of Pangaea Zimbabwe. “This is a foundation of collaboration, knowledge-exchange and trust that can and will accelerate innovative advocacy under African leadership. We are so proud to take this step with AVAC and with support and collaboration of the entire consortium.”
COMPASS supports coalitions and organizations based in Malawi, Tanzania, the United States and Zimbabwe, and COMPASS members are currently leading more than two dozen active campaigns to advance HIV prevention and treatment.
“From its founding, COMPASS pursued a vision of collective power and shared decision-making that planned for a future in which an African-based organization would assume leadership as a vital step to sustaining this essential work,” said Mitchell Warren, executive director of AVAC. “The communities who are most affected by HIV uniquely understand their context, challenges and opportunities—their leadership is essential to developing solutions that work. With inclusive governance structures formalized, including Pangaea Zimbabwe as the new secretariat, that leadership is in place, and we are excited that AVAC will continue to be part of the coalition in its new form.”
“As planned from the inception of COMPASS, coalition members are taking their highly successful model to the next level. We are jointly investing in the long-term success of African leadership because it is absolutely essential to breaking cycles that perpetuate inequity and that stall progress in the HIV response,” said Justine MacWilliam, senior program manager and COMPASS partner at AVAC.
Along with the handover of the secretariat from AVAC to Pangaea Zimbabwe, COMPASS has developed a new governance manual strengthening operating structures for the growing coalition. AVAC will continue as a COMPASS sub-grantee and technical partner focused on advocacy strategy and tactics, including ensuring community priorities are influencing global-level HIV policies, funders and programs.
“This effort put a premium on creating structures to deepen and sustain transparency, accountability, effectiveness and continuing growth within the coalition. COMPASS has a track record of remarkable achievements, this new leadership structure ensures we leverage lessons learned, scale up our advocacy, strengthen each other, and set ambitious goals for impacting the HIV response,” said Dr. Lilian Benjamin Mwakyosi, executive director of DARE Organization in United Republic of Tanzania and co-chair of the COMPASS Governance Working Group.
COMPASS has been unparalleled in testing and succeeding with new models for transnational collaboration. The results have brought campaign after campaign that have marshalled the power of data-driven advocacy to advance community priorities and have convinced policymakers to do the right thing. With these latest innovations, COMPASS is now pioneering a leadership structure that offers the field a sustainable model for decolonizing global health.
The “3 Ps” of EmPowerment, Partnership and Protection
Stakeholder Perceptions of Beneficial Outcomes of Engagment in HIV Prevention Trials
This article, co-authored by AVAC’s Jessica Salzwedel, presents stakeholders’ perspectives on the beneficial outcomes of stakeholder engagement in HIV prevention trials.
Frontiers in Reproductive Health: How might we motivate uptake of the Dual Prevention Pill?
Findings from human-centered design research with potential end users, male partners and healthcare providers
AVAC’s Wawira Nyagah and Kate Segal co-authored a comprehensive manuscript on a demand generation approach for the DPP (Dual Prevention Pill) including findings from research with potential users, male partners, and healthcare providers.
Read the abstract below and the full published research article here.
Multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs) combining contraception with HIV prevention offer a promising solution to uptake and adherence challenges faced with oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The Dual Prevention Pill (DPP), which combines oral PrEP with an oral contraceptive pill (OCP), could address unmet need for family planning (FP) and HIV prevention. This study aimed to identify barriers and motivators for DPP uptake to inform the development of a DPP demand generation strategy and broader introduction efforts for MPTs.
The Architecture for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, & Response (PPPR): Views from Civil Society Leaders on the UN High Level Meetings (Guest Essay)
AVAC’s Executive Director along with partners from the Coalition of Advocates for Global Health and Pandemic Preparedness penned an essay to make the case of meaningful investment in Pandemic Preparedness while referencing continued failures of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full essay here.
The Case For an HIV Cure and How to Get There
Viewpoint appearing in The Lancet HIV
Appearing in The Lancet HIV: We propose steps to plan for an HIV cure now, including defining a target product profile and establishing the HIV Cure Africa Acceleration Partnership (HCAAP), a multidisciplinary public-private partnership that will catalyse and promote HIV cure research through diverse stakeholder engagement. HCAAP will convene stakeholders, including people living with HIV, at an early stage to accelerate the design, social acceptability, and rapid adoption of HIV-cure products.
Including Pregnant and Breastfeeding People in Trials of Novel LAED PrEP Agents
Perspective from sub-Saharan Africa community stakeholders
This paper describes how community consultation based in the principles of GPP led to researchers gaining an enhanced understanding of their community’s strongly held views and concerns about PrEP for pregnant and lactating people, and whether and how to include of those people in PrEP research.