“Yes, Africa Needs Rectal Microbicides” IRMA/AVAC teleconference September 27, 2011

1. “Yes, Africa Needs Rectal Microbicides” IRMA/AVAC teleconference September 27, 2011 Jim Pickett, IRMA Chair Developing an African rectal microbicide agenda that articulates research, advocacy and community mobilisation strategies

2. Today • Who is IRMA? • What is Project ARM? • Goals, objectives • ICASA 2011 satellite • Then what?

3. Who is IRMA?

4. Born 2005 • Mission: support development of safe, effective, acceptable, and accessible rectal microbicides for all whoneed them • 1000+ advocates, scientists, funders, policymakers from 6 continents – IRMA-ALC and IRMA Nigeria chapters AFC secretariat

5. rectalmicrobicides.org Global context

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

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

8. What is Project ARM?

9. 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

10. Goals • 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.

11. at ICASA 2011 • 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

12. 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

13. Next steps • 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!

14. “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, you’ve never spent the night with a mosquito.” – African saying

15. Thank you Questions? jpickett@aidschicago.org rectalmicrobicides.org