“Yes, Africa Needs Rectal Microbicides” IRMA/AVAC teleconferenceSeptember 27, 2011Jim Pickett, IRMA Chair

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Developing an African rectal microbicide agenda that articulates research, advocacy and community mobilisation strategies

Today

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• Who is IRMA?• What is Project ARM?– Goals, objectives

• ICASA 2011 satellite• Then what?

Who is IRMA?

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Mission: support development of safe, effective,

acceptable, and accessible

rectal microbicides for all who need them

AFC secretariat

1000+ advocates, scientists, funders, policymakers from

6 continents – IRMA-ALC and IRMA Nigeria

chapters

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Born 2005

Report includes:

Updated resource tracking

& funding projectio

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Overview IRMA

activities

Updated Research snapshot

Advocacy goals

Global context

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rectalmicrobicides.org

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Highly active moderated listserv, website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, teleconferences

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Survey now available in English, Spanish, French, Russian and Chinese. Portuguese, Thai and German are coming.

rectalmicrobicides.org

What is Project ARM?

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• Long-term, sustained project of IRMA to develop community capacity around rectal microbicide advocacy– ensure broad participation in guiding research activities – ensure well-informed community input into development of

African rectal microbicide research and implementation agenda.

• Project ARM born from series of community consultations with African advocates and allies at Microbicides 2010 , AIDS 2010 and through IRMA listserv

• First-year funding provided by National Institutes of Health/Office of AIDS Research, New Venture Fund

• AVAC an organizing partner 9

• Project ARM’s activities will lead to expanded African rectal microbicide education and advocacy.

• Project ARM’s activities will support the planning and implementation of rectal microbicide clinical trials in Africa in an environment that is as safe as possible for participants.

• Project ARM’s activities will support the eventual rollout of safe, effective, acceptable and accessible rectal microbicides for African men, women, and transgender individuals.

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Goals

• Centerpiece activity– Working/strategy meeting in advance of ICASA 2011

(International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa) – Addis, Ababa, Ethiopia, December 2 – 3, 2011– 40 individuals will participate – Africans/allies– Scholarship program to support additional 12

Africans to attend (plus invited presenters and stakeholders)• 150+ Africans submitted scholarship applications• Scoring now underway – announcement October 3

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at ICASA 2011

• Capacity-building– Enhance capacity of African community advocates to participate in rectal

microbicide agenda-setting, research and mobilisation efforts

• Setting the stage and context– Promote a common understanding of how rectal microbicide research is

proceeding, potential role that African rectal microbicide research and advocacy, and various African contexts within which rectal microbicides would be introduced

• Setting the agenda– Develop strategies for community mobilization and more African

involvement in rectal microbicides; put rectal microbicides on biomedical HIV-prevention research agenda in Africa; and, develop an African rectal microbicide research agenda that is part of global efforts

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at ICASA 2011

• Project ARM video (IRMA, Pop Council, others)– Educate communities and policymakers about

prevalence of anal intercourse among men and women in Africa and associated HIV/STI risks

– Make case for why rectal microbicides are needed in Africa

– Provide information about existing HIV prevention strategies for anal intercourse, including guidance about condom-compatible lubricants

• Produce report for release at Microbicides 2012 in Sydney, Australia– Detailing outcomes from Addis - African-specific

strategy

• Follow through! 13

Next steps

“IF YOU THINK YOU’RE TOO SMALL TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, YOU’VE NEVER SPENT THE NIGHT WITH A MOSQUITO.” – AFRICAN SAYING

Thank you

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jpickett@aidschicago.orgrectalmicrobicides.org

Questions?