Journal of the International AIDS Society Blog
The International AIDS Society (IAS) and 15 other leading public and private sector organizations have released a comprehensive research agenda designed to significantly advance global responses to HIV in women, girls and children. The new consensus statement, Asking the Right Questions: Advancing an HIV Research Agenda for Women and Children, includes 20 specific recommendations to expand and improve responses to the HIV-related challenges facing women and children worldwide.
Inadequate responses to HIV are a major barrier to women’s health and progress worldwide. According to UNAIDS, 15.7 million women and 2.1 million children under age 15 were living with HIV in 2008. Women and children made up the majority of the estimated 33.4 million people living with HIV in 2008.
The Agenda, which focuses on key gaps in clinical and programmatic knowledge that hinder access to effective HIV prevention, treatment and care for women and children, is being released today to coincide with International Women’s Day, whose theme is “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All.”
The Agenda was developed through an extensive consultative process involving investigators, clinicians, civil society and UN agencies, and was informed by an expert-led mapping exercise and literature review initiated by the IAS’ Industry Liaison Forum (IAS-ILF). It identifies priority research questions within four broad categories: 1) clinical research on prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and paediatric treatment; 2) clinical research on treatment issues for women; 3) operations research for women; and 4) operations and implementation research related to PMTCT, including paediatric care, treatment and support.
Recommendations in the fourth category of the agenda were developed though a parallel, high level consultation led by UNICEF, with the involvement of the Interagency Task Team for PMTCT, including the WHO, UNAIDS and US agencies and in collaboration with George Washington University (GWU) and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF).
The 16 organizations endorsing this Agenda commit to working together on its implementation. They invite others to join them to help ensure that the overall AIDS research agenda works for women and children, too.
Posted by Edith Gruslin at 10:21 Comments (0)