Avac Event

Vaccines in Vivo: Advances in AIDS Vaccine Research

On May 18, advocates around the world observed HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD)—an annual commemoration of the need for and commitment to the ongoing search for a vaccine. AVAC convened a webinar—Vaccines in Vivo: Advances in AIDS Vaccine Research—and updated a number of materials, including our “HVAD Toolkit” for those interested in easy-to-digest research updates.

This year brought the launch of long-awaited initiation of clinical trials building on positive results from the RV144 “Thai” trial. This effort is led by the Pox-Protein Public-Private Partnership (P5), including the the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, who joined the webinar to provide a status update of their current vaccine research and development program. We also featured Janssen, part of Johnson & Johnson, to provide an overview of the research program they are moving forward that focuses on a cross-clade vaccine product.

In this webinar we discussed:

  • When and where the P5 trials are taking place?
  • What questions will be asked in the P5 “licensure track” trials—designed to bring a product to market, and what will the “research” track address? [Click here for AVAC’s explanation of the dual tracks.]
  • The pipeline beyond the P5 trials—including the candidate Janssen is developing
  • The role for advocates in southern Africa and around the world in terms of keeping AIDS vaccine research on track

Avac Event

Hormonal Contraception and HIV: Understanding the Evidence

A special presentation and discussion of new research on the relationship between hormonal contraception and HIV was hosted by CHANGE (Center for Health and Gender Equity). This interactive webinar brought together researchers, policy experts and advocates to discuss applications for this research in ensuring that all women and girls have access to the most effective family planning, reproductive health and HIV prevention information and services.

See presentation slides:

Avac Event

Vaccine-O-Licious

Join Project ACHIEVE, Ballroom Throwbacks, Impulse Group NYC, AVAC, and Columbia University Medical Center on Monday, May 18th for the 11th annual Vaccine-O-Licious – #VOL2015 with a special Q&A and Meet and Greet with the cast from Triangle Web Series.

Get your free tickets here

Vaccine-O-Licious is an annual event designed to spread the word about HIV Vaccine Awareness Day.The event brought together a variety of performers uniting through dance and song.Peppermint hosted this exciting evening of entertainment, with a little education too!

Address: Santos Party House, 96 Lafayette St, New York, NY, 10013

Doors Open: 6:30 PM

Special Q&A with the cast of Triangle Web Series at 7 PM

Show Time: 7:30 PM

Avac Event

CUREiculum Webinar: Measuring the HIV Reservoir

One of the major barriers to finding a cure for HIV is the ability to count how much latent virus persists inside the cells of a person living with HIV who is on effective treatment. Drs. Janet and Robert Siliciano shared the current challenges & strategies to measuring the latent HIV reservoir.

Avac Event

Breaking Regulatory Barriers for Greater Female Condom Access

A variety of safe and effective female condoms currently exist. However, regulatory hurdles limit new products from entering consumer markets. With the pipeline of new receptive-partner initiated condoms growing, advocates must understand how regulatory issues determine product introduction and approval in their country.

Join the National Female Condom Coalition June 3 at 11:00am EST to learn about:

  • Receptive partner-initiated condoms in development
  • Link between regulatory environment and female condom access
  • Current regulatory issues and obstacles
  • Unique advocacy opportunity to break barriers to existing female condoms and pave the way for emerging internal condoms

Panelists will include:

  • Mags Beksinska, Director, MatCH Research
  • Coco Jervis, Program Director, National Women’s Health Network
  • Jessica Terlikowski, Director of Prevention Technology Education, AIDS Foundation of Chicago & National Female Condom Coalition

Avac Event

HIV 2015: Using Phylogenetics to Enhance the HIV Response

Rapid advances in molecular genetics and bio-informatics allow more and better data on the phylogeny of HIV to be collected. The genetic diversity among HIV strains within individual patients, communities and globally allows the dynamics of transmission and evolution of the virus to be studied in ever greater detail. The implications for drug resistance, vaccine development, transmission networks and evaluation of prevention interventions are beginning to be understood. The challenge is to translate the new science into more effective ways to prioritize the HIV response and to monitor the impact of different intervention approaches. This meeting brought together scientists, policy makers, and international organizations dedicated to advancing our scientific knowledge of HIV and translating that information into the most effective programs for reducing transmission of the virus.

A list of speakers can be found here

The event will also be broadcast as a webinar

Avac Event

7th SA AIDS Conference

The seventh South African AIDS Conference (SA AIDS) took place 9-12 June at the International Conference Center in Durban, South Africa. Featured below are details on selected events related to HIV prevention research and implementation and more!

SA AIDS is a biennial meeting, serving as the primary opportunity to discuss South Africa’s HIV/AIDS epidemic. This year’s conference theme was Reflection, Refocus and Renewal.

It is a crucial time for biomedical HIV prevention research and rollout in South Africa. Please see our updated map and tables listing all biomedical HIV prevention studies recently completed, currently ongoing or planned in South Africa.

SA AIDS 2015 featured many relevant presentations and events. AVAC and partners have pulled together a full roadmap. Below, we’ve highlighted a few key sessions, as well as ways to link with AVAC and other advocates—both at SA AIDS and from afar.

Download the roadmap here (PDF, XLS).

  • Women’s Networking Zone: AVAC partnered with The Centre for Communication Impact (formerly JHHESA) in the Women’s Networking Zone. We hosted two skills building workshops on HIV prevention research basics, covering ARV-based prevention on Wednesday, 10 June 2015, 13:30-14:30 and vaccines and cure on Thursday, 11 June, 11:30-12:30. On Thursday at 16:30-17:30, we also hosted a discussion on the Global Village Main Stage with young women about what prevention means to them.
  • Results to Roll-out—Accelerating Approvals and Access of Biomedical Products after Clinical Trial Results: This symposium, co-chaired by WRHI and AVAC, discussed the latest research on strategies of delivering new products to people who need them. It took place Wednesday, 10 June, 14:00-15:30 in Hall 4.
  • Hormonal Contraceptives and HIV—Evidence, Expanding the Method Mix and ECHO: This roundtable discussion explored current reproductive health options in South Africa, gaps in evidence about their link to HIV risk and plans for the future. It took place Wednesday, 10 June, 16:00-17:30 in Hall 8A.
  • Not Just for Research Studies: Rolling Out Good Participatory Practice across Projects Implementation Programmes This Skills Building Workshop provided an overview of GPP principles, facilitate debate around GPP concepts and examined how GPP can be adapted and utilised for improving stakeholder engagement of implementation projects and programmes. It took place on Thursday, 11 June, 14:00-15:30 in Hall 10.

There was also a booth to meet the AVAC team, learn about the Advocacy Fellows Program and pick up copies of our materials at Stand A13 in the Women’s Networking Zone. There was also a special information session on the Fellows Program and how to apply.

As always, AVAC posted live updates from the conference on our <Facebook and Twitter pages. Follow the conference on Twitter @SAAIDS2015 and the hashtag #SAAIDS2015.

Avac Event

PrEP for Trans Women: What are the Opportunities and Challenges?

The Network for Multidisciplinary Studies on ARV-Based HIV Prevention (NEMUS) hosted a webinar on PrEP for Transwomen: what are the opportunities and challenges led by JoAnne Keatley and Dr. Madeline Deutsch.

Avac Event

Boldly Queer: African Perspectives on Same Sex Sexuality and Gender Diversity

Boldly Queer. African Perspectives on Same-sex Sexuality and Gender Diversity is a new book, co-edited by Theo Sandfort, professor at Columbia University, contains original contributions by LGBT activists and scholars from various African countries, including Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, and Uganda. It is a rich collection of articles, essays, stories and photographs that showcase a growing understanding of LGBT rights struggles and realities on the African continent.

Participants viewed WHO CAN TELL an exhibit of
portraits token by Daniel Jack Lyons of participants to the conference on
which the book is based. The photographer was present.

The book presentation took place on July 16, 2015, from 6 to 8 PM at
315 GALLERY, 315 West 36th Street, Manhattan.

The event and conference was co-organized and sponsored by Hivos.

Avac Event

Transgender Women and PrEP: What’s the latest?

The US Women and PrEP Working Group and partners had a first-hand look at PrEP and transgender women — through the eyes of women prescribing it, using it, choosing not to use it, advocates calling for more research on it and policy-makers charged with integrating it into the national HIV response.

You can click here to view the video.

Slides are also available here.