Avac Event

18th ICASA Conference 2015

This page includes information on the 18th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA 2015). Featured below are details on select events related to biomedical HIV prevention research and implementation.

News from ICASA

ICASA on Social Media

Follow the conference on social media by following us on Twitter and Facebook — and using the official conference hashtag #ICASA2015, as seen on the right.

Conference Events

  • ICASA 2015 HIV Prevention Research Roadmap: We pulled together a roadmap of select sessions for those tracking biomedical prevention research and rollout. Download as a PDF or XLS file. Full program available here.
  • WNZ@ICASA:Check out the WNZ programme for opportunities that were present to engage and dialogue with women’s organizations across Africa. AVAC collaborated on a number of events at the WNZ, including updates on the dapivirine ring trials, PrEP for women, hormonal contraception and HIV, women’s role in VMMC rollout, barriers in access to treatment and HIV prevention research and delivery.
  • Satellite Session: Adapting the WHO guidelines on oral PrEP: What will it take?, hosted by USAID, PEPFAR, WHO and the OPTIONS Consortium, comprised of FHI360, Wits RHI and AVAC. The panel covered an overview of the WHO Interim Guidelines and key oral PrEP research findings and demonstration projects, with a discussion on what it will take to introduce and scale up PrEP and other ARV-based prevention options within combination prevention programmes.

Presentations

  • Local Investments with Global Implications: The contributions of African countries who host HIV prevention research and development, check out the presentation here.

Avac Event

World AIDS Day

Every year World AIDS Day events take place across the country to raise awareness and show support for people living with HIV.

Avac Event

Black PrEP Summit

On September 9, 2015, the Black AIDS Institute hosted the 2015 National Black PrEP Summit. The National Black PrEP Summit served as a call to action to identify best practices for PrEP uptake in Black communities and develop implementation strategies with participation from policymakers, local leaders, researchers and experts.

Program Mission

The goal of the Black Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Summit was to increase knowledge and uptake of PrEP among Black people in the United States through interactive conversations with clinicians, community members, and public health practitioners. The summit aimed to discuss socio-contextual, economic and political issues associated with PrEP uptake, and share best practices in surmounting these challenges.

Avac Event

Developing Dual Compartment Multipurpose Prevention Technologies That Work Up Front and From Behind

The development of multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs) has emerged in recent years as a leading strategy to improve sexual and reproductive health outcomes. José Fernández Romero, a Population Council virologist, discussed the importance of MPTs designed to target different viral sexually transmitted infections and formulated for use in both vaginal and rectal compartments.

Click below to download the presentation slides.

Avac Event

Prevention Now: An Integration Agenda For Women, By Women

CHANGE and AVAC convened in Washington, DC for the launch of a new report, Prevention Now: An Integration Agenda for Women, by Women. Click here to read the report.

Avac Event

Update on the New WHO Guidelines for HIV Testing Services

A critical first step in achieving the 90-90-90 targets proposed by UNAIDS is ensuring that 90 percent of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status by 2020. This is an ambitious goal, as currently only half of people living with HIV know their status. The recently released WHO HIV testing guidelines address and respond to this reality.

Listen to the webinar here.

View webinar slides here.

Avac Event

START Study – Strategic Timing of Antiretroviral Treatment

This webinar was part of the ICAP Grand Rounds Webinar series. Fred M. Gordin, Chief of Infectious Diseases from the Veterans Affairs Medical Center presented. The recording is available here.

Avac Event

Investing in Innovation: The Payoff for Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health

IPM hosted an event, Investing in Innovation: The Payoff for Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health, on the eve of the UN’s Sustainable Development Summit to adopt the new set of Sustainable Development Goals. IPM’s aim was to highlight the many benefits to be gained from investing in innovative solutions to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of women and girls.

The panelists included:

  • Zeda Rosenberg, CEO, International Partnership for Microbicides
  • Julia Bunting, President, Population Council
  • Georgina Caswell, Regional Technical Advisor, International HIV/AIDS Alliance
  • Robin Gorna, Executive Director, Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH)
  • Katja Iversen, Chief Executive Officer, Women Deliver
  • Jaak Peeters, Global Head, Johnson & Johnson Global Public Health

Avac Event

New WHO Guidelines for HIV Testing Services Webinar

A critical first step in achieving the 90-90-90 targets proposed by UNAIDS is ensuring that 90 percent of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status by 2020. This is an ambitious goal, as currently only half of people living with HIV know their status. The recently released WHO HIV testing guidelines address and respond to this reality. The WHO’s Dr. Rachel Baggaley, unpacked the HIV testing guidelines and highlighted the need-to-know specifics of the new guidelines.

Listen to the recording here.

View the slides here.

Avac Event

EATG 2015 Webinar 1: An update on PrEP in Europe

This series of three webinars, hosted jointly by EATG and AVAC, is designed to prepare and update EATG members for a special meeting on new developments in prevention January 29-31, 2016 in Brussels.

The first webinar addressed the latest updates on PrEP in Europe. Speakers: Dr Valentina Cambiano of University College London, Daniela Rojas Castro of AIDES and Dr Anastasia Pharris of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

Chaired by Gus Cairns of EATG.

Please note that the recording starts a few minutes into Gus Cairns introduction.