Press Release

AVAC Applauds the Selection of Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo as New Director of NIAID  

Wednesday, August 2, 2023 

AVAC enthusiastically applauds the selection of Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, to serve as the new director of the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and infectious Disease (NIAID). Dr. Marrazzo brings unparalleled leadership and research expertise to this pivotal role at NIAID, which oversees some of the largest investments to advance research on HIV and sexually transmitted infections in the world, at such a critical moment in global health science and politics. 

“Jeanne has been a pioneer in both HIV prevention and STI research and advocacy for many years. This news of her selection as NIAID Director just does not get any better,” said Mitchell Warren, AVAC’s Executive Director. “Given her distinguished career, NIAID’s selection signals a commitment to pursuing a research agenda that is aimed squarely at defeating HIV while safeguarding principles that advance global health equity. Moreover, her appointment reflects the important intersection of science, policy, communications and advocacy that has defined her career thus far.” 

“Perhaps most importantly, her longtime championship of community engagement and person-centered research provides a fantastic foundation for this role,” said Manju Chatani-Gada, AVAC’s Director for Partnerships & Capacity Strengthening. “She has always been accessible and provided time, mentorship and support to civil society advocates in breaking down and interpreting science. Ultimately, it is not just what science gets supported at NIAID, but how the science happens and how it is communicated, and Jeanne is the right leader at the right time to build on Dr. Fauci’s legacy.” 

Dr. Marrazzo’s research included landmark investigations of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for cisgender women as well as discovery and implementation science research focused on complex issues including hormonal contraception and HIV, antimicrobial resistance in gonorrhea, and other efforts especially as they effect women’s health and livelihoods and exacerbate the impact of infectious diseases. She provided pioneering leadership of the Microbicide Trials Network’s groundbreaking Vaginal and Oral Interventions to Control the Epidemic (VOICE) study, one of the most complex HIV prevention studies ever designed and conducted. 

“Jeanne is a remarkable physician, researcher and advocate. We are so optimistic about her ability to connect the dots—between HIV prevention, sexual and reproductive health, and pandemic preparedness, and help solve for the threats of disparities in access, stigma, discrimination and criminalization of key populations,” Warren added.  

Dr. Marrazzo will be the first new director of NIAID in nearly 40 years and the first woman in this position. She will also be the first openly gay director of any institute at the NIH. The position was held by Dr. Anthony Fauci, whose vision, passion and commitment to ending the AIDS epidemic and advancing global health research has been an inspiration to AVAC and to so many. Dr. Marrazzo is expected to assume the post as NIAID Director later this year. 

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About AVAC: AVAC is an international non-profit organization that leverages its independent voice and global partnerships to accelerate ethical development and equitable delivery of effective HIV prevention options, as part of a comprehensive and integrated pathway to global health equity. Follow AVAC on Twitter @HIVpxresearch; find more at www.avac.org and www.prepwatch.org.

Our Take: Are the UN Declaration on PPPR and the Pandemic Accord going in the right direction?

The last few weeks have been filled with high-level negotiations among UN Member States on the way forward for global pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPPR) efforts. Below, please find an analysis of the negotiated language to date in the Pandemic Accord, and the UN Declaration on PPPR, and their implications for equity in PPPR. These analyses were conducted by AVAC and partners working in collaboration to track progress toward equity in these agreements and develop an advocacy agenda for provisions in both that ensure equity in global health advances. The Declaration is an agreement that involves heads of state and potentially a role for all ministries of government. The Pandemic Accord is being negotiated by members of the WHO to strengthen PPPR.

The Pandemic Accord: A look at negotiations to date

The first draft of the WHO-led Pandemic Accord was released in May, containing edits to the zero draft from the Member States. As expected, edits from high-income countries introduced challenges to equity provisions in the text— particularly provisions aimed at ensuring that agreements to share access to data on pathogens is paired with commitments to also share the benefits developed from research using those data (termed pathogen access and benefits sharing). Other equity provisions that were challenged include intellectual property, and language on how the world should allocate vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics in the event of a global pandemic threat. Throughout the document, certain high-income Member States inserted caveats or wording, such as “encourage” or “as appropriate”, which would make implementation voluntary or compliance more subjective. Other phrases to weaken the agreements, such as replacing “commit to” with “recognize the importance of”, were also inserted.

Negotiations so far have resulted in weaker, alternative language to several key articles than in the so-called zero draft of the accord. These include articles on technology transfer, the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) System, health workforce strengthening, and the proposed Supply Chain & Logistics Network. There are, however, some clauses that have been strengthened. Global R&D networks, laboratory networks for genomic surveillance, knowledge translation, and the harmonization of regulation to accelerate WHO pre-approval and authorization all have stronger commitments and more details than before. You can find the first draft here and a closer analysis of the changes made between the zero and first draft here.

The UN Declaration on PPPR: What’s in the Zero Draft?

The zero draft of the UN Declaration on PPPR, set to be adopted at the High-Level Meeting on September 20, was released in June.

Many provisions in the draft Declaration are positive, recognizing and affirming key points related to human rights and inclusive provisions that prioritize vulnerable and marginalized populations. The draft recognizes vaccine inequity as a vital concern, affirms key principles of equity and non-discrimination and the need to ensure adequate support for both health workers and the WHO. However, there are very few, if any, concrete targets set, leaving little to hold countries accountable. Missing from the Declaration, in particular the section on Overarching Health Related Issues, is the need for countries to prioritize and commit to building on the global responses to ongoing epidemics, including HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria, polio, other neglected disease outbreaks such as Ebola, Marburg, and cholera, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

This is a missed opportunity with enormous implications. It signals a troubling and serious global inability to build on existing health and community infrastructures, integrate responses, and avoid erecting isolated pillars in global health architecture. Many of the capacities needed for PPPR already exist in the response to these other health threats. They can and must be expanded and strengthened for broader pandemic preparedness. In addition, the history of the responses to HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria have made clear that community leadership in the response and civil society engagement are essential to achieve success in PPPR. The current response to existing health threats, which through trial and error have built resilient and effective systems, should serve as the foundation for any future pandemic preparedness and response efforts. The Declaration’s silence on this issue is gravely concerning.

The Declaration’s clauses relating to agreements on pandemic-related tools and products are strong, and notably stronger than those in the first draft of the Pandemic Accord. But equity provisions, and access to those tools, could be strengthened further, by including compulsory licensing and transfer of know-how when necessary.

It’s vital for advocates to engage with these processes, and leverage their power to influence the emerging architecture in global health. Decisions being made now will have implications for years to come. And the voices of advocates are having an influence. For example, the US government’s contribution to the current draft of the UN declaration recently added specific recommendations from AVAC and partners on the inclusion of Good Participatory Practice. It’s up to all of us to make sure GPP and other provisions that ensure equity in global health are in place when the drafts become final.

You can find the Declaration zero draft here and see our analysis and the changes we call for here.

What’s Next

These negotiations are setting the direction for pandemic readiness for years to come. As discussions continue in the weeks and months ahead, it’s imperative for advocates and countries to be raising their voices and calling for language and commitments that will ensure equity in PPPR. Building on the lessons the world has learned from ongoing epidemics, and integrating the response must be a priority to ensure the tragic results of inequity in global health are not repeated, again and again.

AVAC will be sharing these analyses with our partners and governments with whom we work with. For more background, read AVAC’s Advocates Guide for PPPR. And you can take action now by sending these resources to your country’s UN representatives and other influential voices in your networks!

Avac Event

ICASA 2023

Join AVAC and partners for the biennial International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (ICASA), in Harare, Zimbabwe December 4-9. More than 30 of our partners will convene at the meeting to champion community leadership and amplify their role in shaping local, national and global responses and delivering impactful advocacy. Community leadership on a range of issues are instrumental to: 

  • Accelerate and expand access to proven prevention options that people want and need. 
  • Dismantle the structural barriers to health faced by key populations. 
  • Intensify demands for robust domestic and global funding for health. 
  • Integrate HIV services with sexual and reproductive health. 
  • And much more. 

Scroll down for a roadmap to ICASA’s prevention program, and details on sessions and events that you won’t want to miss. 

Sessions of Interest

Sunday, December 3

  • Biomedical Prevention Forum 
    9:00-15:00 GMT 
    The Biomedical Prevention Forum will be held as a hybrid event bringing together advocates, civil society representatives, researchers, government officials and front-line providers to explore and discuss the latest advancements, challenges, and opportunities in biomedical HIV prevention, while emphasizing the importance of choice and its transformative impact on HIV prevention efforts. This is an open event. Register here. 
  • Key Populations Preconference 
    9:00-15:00 GMT 
    The Africa Key Populations Experts Group (AKPEG), African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA), the African Network of People Using Drugs (AfricanPUD) and African Queer Youth Initiative (AQYI) Advocates for Prevention of HIV and AIDS in Africa (APHA), Global Black Gay Men Connect (GBGMC) and partners will host a safe platform to deliberate on the state of the HIV epidemic among Key Populations and to determine the stumbling blocks for progress on the path that ends AIDS for Key Populations.

Monday, December 4

Tuesday, December 5

  • Advancing Integrated Biomedical Prevention: Best Practices from Zimbabwe (Session 2) 
    8:45-09:30 GMT
    This satellite session will discuss best practices and lessons learned from the delivery of biomedical HIV prevention and Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision services as we work to further universal health coverage and robust health systems. Partners will launch a global call to action to unite, mobilize, and advocate for continued prioritized funding, sustained commitment, and strategic integration of VMMC into national and global prevention strategies.
  • Catalyzing a sustainable HIV prevention agenda: Approaches to expand local action on global commitments
    10:45-11:30 GMT
    Leveraging new strategic plans for HIV prevention, including the PEPFAR’s 5-year Strategy and UNAIDS’ Prevention Road Map, this satellite session will discuss combination prevention in the context of a sustainable HIV response and highlight a variety of approaches and models that leverage country and stakeholder-led innovations to meet the challenge.
  • Coordinating Implementation Science for CAB for PrEP: BioPIC’s Implementation Study Tracker 
    12:25-12:35 GMT
    In this oral abstract session, AVAC will present a new dashboard, which reflects all currently known activities relating to implementation research, modelling, clinical research, and landscaping for new late-stage biomedical HIV PrEP options, including cabotegravir for PrEP and the dapivirine vaginal ring.
  • Policy, Politics and HIV Management 
    13:05-13:50 GMT
    In this oral abstract session, Princess Mharire from Pangaea Zimbabwe AIDS Trust (PZAT) will present, Beyond Metrics: How the Simple Participatory Assessment of Real Change (SPARC) Tool Provides a Holistic Approach to Advocacy Measurement, and Joseph Njowa of PZAT will share the COMPASS MERL model in a presentation, Innovative tools for planning, monitoring, and evaluation of advocacy campaigns. 

Wednesday, December 7

Friday, December 8

  • Strengthen integration for better SRHR outcomes 
    10:45-11:30 GMT
    This concurrent session will feature Advocates for Prevention of HIV and AIDS in Africa’s (APHA) Yvette Raphael and will explore linkages between unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortion, and HIV.
  • HIV Prevention-Right Place, Right time 
    13:05-13:50 GMT
    This concurrent session will feature Maureen Luba of AVAC, Definate Nhamo of PZAT and Yvette Raphael of APHA. 

AVAC and Partner Poster Presentations

Tuesday, December 5 

  • Maximizing private pharmacies for PrEP delivery to increase uptake: Lessons learnt from the Community Retail Pharmacy Distribution Point, Ruth Akulu 

Wednesday, December 6 

  • Journalist Training: A Key Advocacy Strategy, Catherine Madebe
  • Perceptions on the new biomedical HIV prevention methods among adolescent girls and young women in tertiary institutions in Zimbabwe, Cleo Makura
  • Lessons from Crisis Response from TaNPUD in Enhancing Harm Reduction from 2015 to 2018, Marineus Mutongore
  • Implementing Community led Monitoring for improved quality of HIV services in Tanzania, Mathew Kawogo
  • Impact of social media exposure on HIV services uptake among Tanzanian Young people: Implications for enhancing the HIV response, Marineus Mutongore
  • Effective Strategies for Operating COWLHA support groups of Adolescents Living with HIV: Case of Mangochi and Chikwawa Districts of Malawi, Harry Madukani

Thursday, December 7 

  • Understanding Choice of HIV Prevention Options among Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in Zambia, Natasha Mwila
  • Leveraging HIV to Build a Global Health Research and Development (R&D) Equity Advocacy Agenda, John Meade
  • Championing advocacy for domestic resource mobilization for health research and development in Africa, Ethel Makila

Friday, December 8 

  • Rural Youth: Underserved and Unsafe When Seeking Care, Liyema Somnono
  • Redefining Coalition Governance and Leadership in Support of Decolonizing Global Health: The Evolution of the COMPASS Coalition, Roberta Sutton
  • Collaborative Monitoring & Evaluation to Support Learning and Strengthen Advocacy Coalitions: The MERL Hub, Grace Tetteh
  • Realities faced by street children predisposing them to HIV and STIs in Dodoma and Dar es Salaam Cities in Tanzania, Simon Shilagwa 

A Comprehensive Approach for Progress

Ending the Epidemic

The Road to and Beyond High-Level Meetings on UHC and PPR

Thursday, June 22 at 9:00 AM ET

This webinar highlighted key opportunities for community and civil society to engage ahead of and beyond the upcoming high-level meetings on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (PPPR). Learning from the high-level meetings on HIV, and reflecting on the recent multi-stakeholders meetings on UHC, TB, and PPR, the webinar highlighted: key moments for civil society and communities to engage, unpack the political declarations’ languages and, holding governments accountable to their commitments.

Watch the recording.

Avac Event

SA AIDS 2023

June 20, 2023

Taking place in Durban from June 20-23, the theme of the 11th South Africa AIDS Conference (SA AIDS) is “act, connect and end the epidemic”.

Registration and Draft Program
Register for the conference and view the draft program.

Research Literacy Networking Zone
At the conference, AVAC and a number of partners will be hosting the Research Literacy @ Networking Zone. More information available here.

Follow Along From Near and Far
Watch this space and/or sign up for our Advocates’ Network mailing list to stay-up-date on the latest at SA AIDS 2023. AVAC will also be posting from the conference on Twitter. Click here for the official SA AIDS Twitter account.

Avac Event

Tales from Two Cities: HIV and STI research highlights from Brisbane and Chicago

August 3, 2023 at 9am ET

(Time Converter)

TCA’s invited experts will share their highlights and reflections on the HIV and STI-related science presented at two major global health conferences. These conferences include IAS 2023, taking place in Brisbane, Australia July 23 – 26 and the 2023 STI and HIV World Congress happening in Chicago (United States) from July 24 – July 27.

Speakers include:
Dr. Aniruddha Hazra – University of Chicago
Nyaradzo M Mgodi – University of Zimbabwe
Roger Pebody – NAM, Aidsmap.com
Charlie Peterson – University of Illinois – Chicago

AVAC Condemns Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023

AVAC strongly condemns Uganda’s new Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023 that President Yoweri Museveni signed into law and stands in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community in Uganda.

“This newly signed legislation expands on a previous attempt to legislate hate and oppression of the LGBTQIA+ community in Uganda nearly a decade ago,” said Angelo Kaggwa-Katumba, Senior Program Manager at AVAC. “As LGBTQIA+ people and allies, AVAC and our partners have been tireless in our work to change attitudes and policy – in Uganda and around the world – because we’ve seen the direct link between criminalization and stigma and the devastating impact both have on HIV incidence. This new law is a direct violation of the health, rights and humanity of the LGBTQIA+ community, and will undermine and reverse Uganda’s progress in HIV prevention, destroying community wellbeing and taking lives along the way.”

The new law increases penalties for consensual sex among same-sex individuals, provisions that Uganda has had on the books as anti-sodomy laws from the British colonial era. It also criminalizes advocacy that supports LGBTQIA+ Ugandan rights, and could even bring death sentences, for so-called “aggravated homosexuality,” a clause that can be applied to people living with HIV, intensifying stigma and a cascade of other harms. Such provisions drive people underground, discouraging the most vulnerable populations from seeking testing, treatment and prevention, and they will setback the fight against HIV.

Advocates have pledged to challenge the constitutionality of the law before the courts, as detailed in this statement from Convening for Equality (CFE), a Ugandan LGBTQIA+ community-led Coalition working alongside a broad range of national and international partners. In addition, leaders of the Global Fund, UNAIDS and PEPFAR have also issued a Joint Statement by the Leaders of the on Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, stating their “deep concern about the harmful impact” of the law “on the health of its citizens and its impact on the AIDS response that has been successful up to now.”

“We must come together and make our voices resoundingly clear: we must stand as one, united in our determination to dismantle this oppressive regime of intolerance,” said Richard Lusimbo, a Co-Convener of CFE, Director General of the Uganda Key Populations Consortium (UKPC), and long-time AVAC partner. “Today, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment, declaring that we will not rest until the shackles of this dangerous law are broken. We will tirelessly strive until equality and justice prevail over discrimination and hate. Let this be the rallying cry igniting change, fueling our collective efforts to create a future where everyone is celebrated for their uniqueness and embraced unconditionally.”

Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act is one of the world’s most extreme anti-gay laws, in a period when several other countries, including the US, are seeing an increasing number of anti-LGBTQIA+ laws proposed.

“This law is part of a global increase in extremism focused on moralizing behavior related to sexual and reproductive health that could set back decades of progress in building community-focused health services,” said Mitchell Warren, AVAC executive director. “The now signed anti-gay bill in Uganda is the latest in a wave of anti-LGBTQIA+ actions in several countries, from arrests in Zambia to a backlash in Kenya, to anti-trans laws in several US states and elsewhere, all of which threaten lives and livelihoods, and our ability to connect key populations with the resources they need and deserve to prevent and treat HIV and to live their fullest lives. If this were happening in any one country, it would be alarming, but the fact that it’s happening in multiple countries, in multiple parts of the world, is downright chilling.”

“Global, regional, national and local leaders must stand up and fight back against these heinous laws. If we don’t deal with the fundamental reality of stigma, discrimination and criminalization, we will never end any epidemic. We stand in solidarity with all allies and partners committed to turning the tide from hate and fear to global health equity for all,” Warren added.

AVAC Partnership Strategy 2023-2026

This document lays out AVAC’s plan to transition away from traditional power structures when working with partners — from civil society advocates to scientists, policy makers, program implementers, and more. AVAC strives towards a model in which those with lived experience and field expertise have influence and equal voice in the design and delivery of plans and priorities.

Avac Event

STI & HIV World Congress (ISSTDR) 2023

The STI & HIV World Congress (also known as ISSTDR) kicks off in Chicago, Illinois, USA and AVAC will be there. This is the first major face-to-face meeting of STI & HIV professionals since 2019 and one of the only spaces the global STI community comes together to promote ongoing STI research efforts and exchange information on current investigations. This is also the first time AVAC is attending ISSTDR in hopes of expanding STI advocacy and community engagement.

STI & HIV World Congress Resources 

Visit STIWatch.org, a new resource for the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) community to better understand and advocate for STI vaccine and diagnostics research, development and rollout.

STI & HIV World Congress 2023 Roadmap

Check out some AVAC-featured sessions below.

The STI Prevention Pipeline: Where Are We, and What Will It Take to Move Forward Faster?
Monday, July 24 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM in the Cadmium Room
Join us to explore the current development and implementation stages of STI vaccines and diagnostics and identify ways to accelerate research through advocacy.

Symposium: New Vaccine Approaches to STI Prevention STI Vaccine Acceptance and Equity
Tuesday, July 25 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM in Chicago 6
Join AVAC’s Alison Footman to dive into the topic of STI vaccines and equity as new interventions come into reach.

Setting Up a Remote/Home Testing STI Programme: A Practical Toolkit
Thursday, July 25 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM in Sheraton IV/V Room
Join us to explore the power of remote testing to affordably curb STI acquisitions.

Community Happy Hour 
Monday, July 24, 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Lizzie McNeill’s
Join AVAC and partners for a no frills happy hour for the STI community. All are welcome! 

ISSTDR Advocacy Zone 
Monday, July 24 to Thursday, July 27 at the Exhibit Hall
Visit the Advocacy Zone, a space to ask important questions, connect with fellow STI advocates, and begin to chart next steps in advancing STI R&D.