One of the things I like most about working at IAVI is that we are not only focused on research to translate scientific discoveries into affordable, globally accessible public health solutions. We are also passionate about building a critical mass of African researchers providing leadership in HIV biomedical prevention research in Africa and globally.
In order for any invention or intervention to adequately respond to a need, it is necessary that the solution is developed from the premise of intimate knowledge of the problem. Sub Saharan Africa remains the region most affected by HIV in the world. With 1.9 million adults and over 150 000 children newly infected with the virus annually, the region accounts for almost two-thirds of new infections globally. The diverse socioeconomic, political environment and demographic patterns mean that the epidemic plays out differently depending on which country. For scientists to develop strategies that will adequately address the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the continent, they must innovate interventions that are affordable, accessible, acceptable and even appealing to to people across diverse geographies and from a diversity of socioeconomic, cultural, religious, literacy environments. Whom better to take on this onerous task than the researchers from these very geographies and environments?
This question is one that guides IAVI’s strategy for partnerships IAVI is with African and international research institutions to strengthen the capacity for African-led research in African institutions. IAVI supports the growth of individual, institutional and technological capacity for cutting-edge basic, translational and clinical research in HIV biomedical prevention research in Africa.
(First published on LinkedIn, 16 October 2019)