AVAC and REACH for the Cure hosted a webinar to discuss how the environment may impact HIV cure strategies. During this webinar, both organizations explored how clades, co-infections, early treatment, and other factors can help inform existing approaches to HIV cure research. Dr. Adam Ward of Weill Cornell Medicine shared the latest data followed by an informal conversation.
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HIV Cure and the Environment: How location informs cure research
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AVAC in Conversation with NIAID’s Jeanne Marrazzo
The new director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo joined AVAC Executive Director in conversation.
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The Adolescent Medicine Trials Network (ATN): Research addressing HIV health inequities among US adolescents and young adults
Join us for an overview of the newest cycle of the Adolescent Medicine Trials Network! This webinar will highlight ATN 165: Linking Youth to PrEP Services (LYPS) which tests an innovative mobile delivery and mHealth intervention to optimize PrEP adherence and persistence among sexual minority men, ATN 167: Legal, Economic, and Affirming Peer Support (LEAP) for transgender and gender diverse youth, and how the network prioritizes and amplifies the voices of youth directly impacted by the ATN’s pivotal research.
Speakers Include:
- Dr. Lisa Hightow-Weidman, ATN Principal Investigator, College of Nursing Florida State University
- Dr. Sybil Hosek, ATN Principal Investigator, University of Illinois-Chicago
- Dr. Sari Reisner, University of Michigan School of Public Health
- Dr. Kristi Gamarel, University of Michigan School of Public Health
- Dr. Kate Muessig, Florida State University
- Dr. Audrey Pettifor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Zoe Njemanze, ATN Subject Matter Research Consultant
- Kendrick Forte, ATN Subject Matter Research Consultant
- Rodrigo Cabrera, ATN National Community Advisory Board
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Cervical Cancer Awareness Month Webinar Series (Jan 11 to Feb 1)
Webinar 1: Cervical Cancer: What, where, and prevention and treatment options
Thursday January 11, 8:00AM/4:00PM EAT
This webinar provided an overview of cervical cancer including what cervical cancer is, who is impacted, and prevention and treatment options.
Speakers included: Helen Kelly, Shona Dala, and Maribel Almonte Pacheco, WHO and Michelle Chevalier, US Department of State—Bureau of Global Health Security & Diplomacy/PEPFAR
Recording / Helen Kelly Slides
Webinar 2: Advocacy and Cervical Cancer: Voices that are creating change
Thursday January 18, 8:00AM/4:00PM EAT
During this webinar, we heard from advocates on how they have used their voice to bring more attention to cervical cancer and its impact on communities.
Speakers include: Tamika Felder, Cervivor and Karen Nakawala, Teal Sisters Foundation Zambia
Recording / Tamika Felder Slides / Karen Nakawala Slides
Webinar 3: Screening and Treating Cervical Cancer
Thursday January 25, 8:00AM/4:00PM EAT
During this webinar, speakers discussed options for screening and treating cervical cancer along with ongoing research.
Speakers include: Fred Wyand, American Sexual Health Association/National Cervical Cancer Coalition and Bothwell Guzha, University of Zimbabwe
Recording / Fred Wyand Slides / Bothwell Guzha Slides
Webinar 4: Cervical Cancer Among Key Populations
Thursday February 1, 8:00AM/4:00PM EAT
This webinar explored how cervical cancer impacts key populations and those vulnerable to HIV infections.
Speakers include: Samiya Mahmoud, Association for the Prevention of Septic Abortion, Bangladesh (BAPSA) and Shona Dalal, Helen Kelly, WHO
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African Workshop on HIV & Women 2024
The inaugural edition of the African Workshop on HIV & Women will take place in hybrid format on 22 – 23 February 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The time zone that will be used for this meeting is East Africa Time (EAT). If you need to convert the times to your timezone, this website might be of interest to you: www.WorldTimeBuddy.com.
This exciting new initiative is a regional workshop paired to the annual “International Workshop on HIV & Women”. It is an outstanding opportunity for both local and international healthcare providers, researchers, government, industry, and community representatives to discuss and further increase their knowledge on the issues related to HIV and women living in Africa.
The primary purpose of this workshop is to support changes that will provide a better quality of life for women living with HIV and reduce HIV transmissions in the region.
The format of the workshop enables attendees to learn from renowned HIV experts, discuss challenges, gaps, and opportunities for further learning and research. The debates and roundtables are an especially important vehicle to discuss issues and challenge dogma.
The workshop also provides a forum for early-career investigators to present their research and to personally meet with experts they view as mentors and inspiration for their work.
The meeting organizers hope this workshop will catalyze forming a community, where attendees continue to participate yearly and form valuable relationships and partnerships that lead to collaborative projects and positive changes.
Regular fee deadline, February 8.
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PrEPVacc: An in-depth look at the trial, and what’s next
During this webinar, the PrEPVacc team and AVAC reviewed the status of the PrEPVacc trial. PrEPVacc, a 3-in-1 trial testing two different vaccine candidates (plus placebo arm) and two daily oral PrEP regimens, recently discontinued vaccinations in the trial due to an independent data review board’s conclusion that the vaccines were having no effect in preventing HIV infection. On this call, we will review key aspects of PrEPVacc, including its innovative study design, implementation, integrated social science, and data analysis plans. Speakers engaged in conversation about what we’ve learned from PrEPVacc, what we can still learn, and what this may mean for the HIV prevention field.
- PrEPVacc Trial Design: Sheena McCormack, PrEPVacc Project Lead, MRC Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, UK
- Trial Implementation and Baseline Data: Eugene Ruzagira, PrEPVacc Trial Director, MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit
- Integrated Social Science: Rachel Kawuma, PrEPVacc Social Scientist, MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit
- Analysis Plan: Sheila Kansiime, PrEPVacc Statistician, MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit
Recording / Sheena McCormack Slides / Eugene Ruzagira Slides / Rachel Kawuma Slides / Sheila Kansiime Slides
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Reporting the African Science Story: Decoding scientific research to support public health in Africa
Eastern time zone
Generating compelling and nuanced media stories on health and science depends on strong connections between researchers and providers, journalists reporting the story, and civil society and community members who have critical perspectives to share. Researchers need skills to explain science in plain language and be open to questions. Civil society and affected communities are also a crucial component to strong news coverage, providing advocacy perspectives that capture the full impact of a given issue.
Since 2012, AVAC has worked to support health journalist associations in East and Southern Africa to strengthen the capacity of journalists to report on HIV prevention research. In 2020, AVAC expanded this work to include COVID science. Through the Media Science Café Program, AVAC partners with health media associations in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe to bring journalists together with researchers, implementers, civil society, policy makers, regulators and policy makers to build relationships that will foster accurate reporting of HIV, COVID and other science or health stories in those countries.
The monthly cafés are structured as informal meetings with 20-30 journalists and expert speakers. Experts in the field gather to present and discuss timely health topics.
Moderators: Kay Marshall, AVAC Zarina Geloo, Zambia Media Cafe Convener
Speakers: Esther Nakkazi, Uganda Media Cafe Convener Anna Miti, Zimbabwe Media Cafe Convener
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African Civil Society Mobilization for PEPFAR Reauthorization
Tuesday, November 28 at 7:00 AM ET
Moderator: Richard Muko, Regional Implementation Advocacy Manager, AVAC
Panelists: Joan Chamungu, Tanzanian Network of Women Living with HIV, Lawrence Khonyongwa, Malawi Network of People of Living with HIV, TBC, African Network of Youth Living with HIV, Annette Gaudino, Advocacy Coalition Manager, GAPP
Hosted by African Network of Youth Living with HIV (AY+), East African Network of AIDS Serving Organizations (EANNASO), Key Populations Trans-National Collaboration (KPTNC) and Coalition to build Momentum, Power, Activism, Strategy & Solidarity (COMPASS)
Join civil society organizations in PEPFAR recipient countries to discuss the status and political context of the current reauthorization and mobilize to call on the US Congress to recommit this life sustaining program. Bring your questions and please share this invitation widely in your relevant networks.
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Sex, Gender & HIV Cure Research
Wednesday, December 6, 1:00 to 2:00 PM ET
This webinar reviewed core concepts discussed in the previous webinar, Let’s Talk About HIV Cure Research: An Introduction to the science under investigation and introduce how hormones may impact cure strategies.
This webinar featured Dr. Jessica Prodger of Western University.
Objectives:
- Review key concepts and terminology of HIV cure
- Known sex differences of HIV progression
- Potential impact of hormones on HIV cure strategies
Recording
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Let’s Talk About HIV Cure Research: An Introduction to the science under investigation
Wednesday, November 15, 11:00 to 12:30 PM ET
Dr. Marina Caskey of Rockefeller University and members of the REACH Community Advisory Board hosted a webinar on November 15 to review the current state of HIV cure research. This webinar explored what makes curing HIV so challenging, the strategies being pursued, and what is happening in locally in NYC!