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DR CHIDI V NWENEKAEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
AFRICAN AIDS VACCINE PARTNERSHIP
AAVP and the Promotion of HIV Vaccines in Africa: Supporting Career Development for Young
African Scientists
6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention
Rome17 – 20 July 2011
HIV Vaccine – The Need
Over 30 years of HIV,
≈ 60 million people infected
≈ 30 million dead
Still ≈ 7000 new infections per day
Still no cure for HIV infection
Majority of those who need ART cannot have it
For every one person starting ART, 2 – 3 new infections occur
Current prevention methods not optimal
Vaccine – not perfect, but still preferable
“A vaccine with 50 percent efficacy provided to 30 percent of the population would reduce new annual infections by 34 percent (seventeen million infections avoided) over fifteen years and result in substantial financial savings” (John Stover et al., Health Affairs, 2007)
A vaccine with only 30% efficacy, given to all those who need it will avert ≈ 45% of infections (Kaldor & Wilson, AIDS 2010)
Sub-Saharan Africa – Highest HIV Burden
Sub-Saharan Africa – extremely low contribution to HIV
Vaccine R&D
Sub-Saharan Africa – extremely low contribution to HIV
Vaccine R&D
AAVP – The Promise
Vision: “An AIDS-free Africa through an effective vaccine”
Mission: To promote HIV vaccine development for Africa through research, advocacy, partnership and contribution to capacity strengthening and policy development
Overarching goal: To ensure significant African ownership of and contribution to all phases of development of an effective HIV vaccine suitable for use in Africa
AAVP’s Programme Approach
HIV vaccine advocacy
Resource mobilisation
for HIV vaccine R&D
Capacity Building
AAVP Partnership
support programme
Promotion of the African HIV Vaccine Agenda
Goal: To create an enabling
environment conducive for
AAVP’s partners to effectively conduct their business of
HIV vaccine R&D in Africa
Objective: To Identify and address ethical,
regulatory and other issues that might affect effective conduct of HIV vaccine R&D in Africa by
AAVP’s partners and stakeholders
Goal: To increase the
political support from
African countries for HIV vaccine
R&D
Goal: To build the human and infrastructural
capacity for biomedical research in
Africa
Goal: to increase the level of
funding for HIV vaccine R&D and related activities
from within Africa
AAVP’s New Programme Approach
Young African Scientists
Mentorship Programme
Capacity building
programme for IRBs &
regulatory authorities
Capacity strengthening programme for
middle and senior level scientists in
Africa
HIV vaccine
advocacy
Resource mobilisation for
HIV vaccine R&D
Capacity Building
AAVP Partnership
support programme
Promotion of the African HIV
Vaccine Agenda
Young Scientists Mentorship Programme
TO INCREASE THE POOL OF AFRICAN BIOMEDICAL
SCIENTISTS AVAILABLE FOR HIV VACCINE
RESEARCH
Goal
Programme Description
Provide hands-on practical research experience to
Biomedical students in African tertiary institutions who are near their final year
Biomedical graduates of African tertiary institutions within their first five years after graduation in biomedical research.
Trainees will trained to become leaders of research
Run as two distinct Fellowships
The Fellowships
Undergraduate Research Training Fellowships
For undergraduate biomedical students
Young Investigators’ Training Fellowships
For graduates who left school within five years prior to the date of taking up the Fellowship
The Undergraduate Fellowship
Goal: to stimulate the Fellow’s interest in biomedical research
Fellows to spend 6 weeks in the field under supervision of a Mentor
During the period focus will be on Trainings on Research Methodology Conducting literature search Observing actual field & laboratory work
Fellow to attend at least one strictly scientific conference
Young Investigators’ Training Fellowship
Goal: to train young African graduates to become research leaders
Fellows to spend between 12 – 36 months in an established research institution conducting research
The research idea will be original, developed by the Fellow before award of the Fellowship
Fellow to be attached by AAVP to a Mentor
Some Alumni encouraged to become
Mentors
Further Mentorship within the Alumni aimed at helping
Fellows become fully independent researchers
After training, Fellows join AAVP Fellows Alumni
The Mentor then guides the Fellow for the rest of the
Programme
All Fellowship recipients will then be matched with appropriate Mentors
Applicants who successfully advance their ideas into good
research projects will be awarded the Fellowship
Applicants with bright ideas placed on one month probationary mentorship to further develop their ideas
Research ideas review for potentials
Prospective Fellows submit their research
ideas
Call for interests
Training Curriculum
Fellows to be guided by specific training objectives
Generating research ideas
Proposal development and proposal writing
Writing grant applications
Conducting literature search
Writing scientific papers including review articles
Presentations at scientific conferences
Manage a research project from inception to publication of research findings.
Other issues
The Mentor will only serve as a guide
The research work will be carried out by the Fellow
Fellows will also be encouraged to enrol for a PhD with the Fellowship, especially Fellows requesting for a 36 month Fellowship
After training, alumni can choose what they want to do thereafter
Target: At least 10% retention in biomedical research
Summary
HIV/AIDS has become a predominantly African problem
Only Africans will eventually make a lasting difference
AAVP has been set up to respond to this need
It may be a hard and long journey
But we will get there
Thank You