The AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC) is delighted to announce the launch of its new AIDS Vaccine Clearinghouse, a comprehensive and interactive source of AIDS vaccine information on the Internet. The website, http://www.aidsvaccineclearinghouse.org/, provides a gateway to information and a link to people and organizations interested in AIDS vaccine advocacy, research and global delivery.
The Clearinghouse is divided into separate content sections that each provides an overview, frequently asked questions and “top picks” of other sources to go to for further information on a particular topic. The site covers a wide variety of issues, all of which greatly affect the work of advocates, community members, researchers and policymakers as we work to develop an AIDS vaccine. The Clearinghouse includes both original content and annotated links to other helpful resources. The following sections are included:
� General & Introductory Information
� Vaccine Science, Research & Development
� Clinical Trials Around the World, including a list of clinical trials and trial sites with contact details to get more information
� Communities and Cohorts, with special sections dedicated to issues related to adolescents, women, gay men, sex workers, injecting drug users (IDUs) and African- Americans.
� Participation in a Trial
� Ethics & Human Rights
� Community Involvement
� Vaccine Advocacy
� Policy
� Global Access
� Comprehensive Response to AIDS, which discusses shared issues among AIDS treatment, prevention, and research advocates.
� Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise
� PrEP Watch, which provides comprehensive information on pre-exposure prophylaxis research
In addition, AVAC is simultaneously launching a new Advocates’ Network – an electronic resource for organizations and individuals interested or already involved in advocacy for the development of vaccines for HIV/AIDS. Linked to the Clearinghouse, the Advocates’ Network will provide regular electronic announcements, updates and notices of events or activities related to AIDS vaccine and other prevention research. Advocates can also submit events and activities to be included in the Advocates’ Network Calendar – a calendar of AIDS vaccine related activities around the world. You can join the Network by sending an e-mail to advocates_network@avac.org.
The Clearinghouse and the companion electronic “Advocates’ Network” are being launched in conjunction with the 9th annual HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, a day designed to educate communities about the importance of HIV vaccine research and thank the thousands of volunteers who have participated in clinical trials.