AVAC’s Strategic Plan 2022-2026

AVAC’s strategic framework is grounded in a multi-layered approach that carefully considers all of the components needed to achieve the organization’s vision, capitalize on its key strengths, and ensure that AVAC is poised to make an impact on the issues it cares most about over the next five years, and beyond.

The vision describes the world we are striving for. The mission describes what AVAC does in service to achieving this vision. The strategic pillars outline the objectives and approaches that AVAC will take over the next five years to achieve its mission and vision. The strategic pillars are supported by AVAC’s core values—the principles by which we work—as well as a set of key enablers.

Advocate, Translate, Catalyze: For HIV prevention and health equity

In this document, we look at the actions we are taking and those that as a field we all need to take to transform prevention “options” developed through research into prevention “choices” for people that can save lives and help end epidemics. This work is critical, and it is shared – just as we developed our strategic plan and EDI statement in partnership with so many, so too will we move this work forward, together.

Seven Global Civil Society Priorities for the 2021-2025 President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Strategy

As the largest funder of HIV/AIDS programming in the world, PEPFAR has the power and opportunity to move the dial. A large number of AVAC partners and other civil society organizations in Eastern and Southern Africa heard the call for comments and suggestions for the new strategy—and responded here with seven key priorities.

BioPIC Adaptable Product Introduction Framework

This framework is intended to inform stakeholders involved in all stages of product introduction from clinical research to rollout in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). While the framework focuses on activities to begin in parallel to phase III clinical trials, stakeholders in early product development phases may also want to understand what to expect in terms of downstream product introduction needs. Stakeholders involved in early product development may also consider leveraging some of the activities included to anticipate future needs.

HIV Vaccine Research: Building on the Lessons from COVID

Building on the lessons of COVID, HIV vaccine advocates can mobilize for an HIV vaccine research and access agenda. This two-page document gives suggested messaging.

Breaking the Bottlenecks to COVID-19 Vaccine Access

This graphic identifies the factors contributing to the bottlenecks in the global supply of COVID-19 vaccines.

Research Work Group of the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership’s response to the NIH Request for Information (RFI)

This letter is the Research Work Group of the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership’s response to the NIH Request for Information (RFI) inviting comments and suggestions to advance and strengthen racial equity, diversity and inclusion in the biomedical research workforce and advance health disparities and health equity research.

Advocates’ Guide to Multipurpose Prevention Technologies

A resource to support advocacy for multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs). The Guide calls out four areas ripe for advocate involvement. It also provides a snapshot on the status of MPT research and development and data on investments—critical information that can support evidence-based advocacy.

Breaking the cycle of transmission: A human-centered approach to increase adoption and sustained use of HIV prevention among high-risk adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in South Africa

Download findings from Breaking the Cycle of Transmission, a research effort to better understand AGYW decisions and behaviors related to HIV prevention; identify different segments to better tailor outreach; and how to reach each segment more effectively. The project uses user-centered research and human-centered design and piloting.

The HIV Prevention Market Manager (PMM), co-led by AVAC and CHAI and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, leads the research in partnership with behavioral research firm Final Mile, user-centered design firm Upstream Innovation and market research group Ask AfriKa, with the Surgo Foundation providing strategic guidance.

Evaluating, Scaling up and Enhancing Strategies for Supporting PrEP Continuation and Effective Use

In June 2019, the Prevention Product Manager (PMM)—a joint partnership between AVAC and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI)—and Jhpiego convened a think tank to consider how best to define and measure PrEP continuation. Its recommendations included modifying current PrEP indicators, recognizing that a single definition of correct or effective use might not be possible given fluctuating and variable HIV risk.

A second think tank was held in September 2020 with the theme Evaluating, Enhancing and Scaling up Strategies for Supporting PrEP Continuation and Effective Use. This think tank explored effective and promising strategies for helping people to stay on PrEP, strategies that can be scaled up across populations and locations.