|
|
|||
|
Family Health International |
|||
Family Health International Awarded Preventive Technologies Agreement from USAIDFive-Year Cooperative Agreement for Up to $175 Million to Support Research on New HIV-AIDS Prevention Technologies and Strategies
|
|||
|
Research Triangle Park, NC, September 3, 2009 – Family Health International (FHI) announced that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded the organization the Preventive Technologies Agreement (PTA), providing up to $175 million in funding over five years to continue FHI's evaluation of innovative HIV-AIDS prevention technologies and strategies. The award, which continues nearly 40 years of USAID support for prevention research leveraging FHI's scientific expertise, involves the completion of two clinical trials of antiretroviral drugs for prevention, and the development of new trials and other research and scientific support activities that advance USAID's global agenda for HIV prevention, including the integration of family planning and HIV services. Dr. Laneta Dorflinger, the FHI Project Director for the PTA, said, "FHI's research and support activities under the Preventive Technologies Agreement will help shape the future of HIV prevention. This new award will allow us to continue research to expand the arsenal of tools and knowledge available to people at risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV to protect themselves and their partners. In particular, activities under the PTA will advance the development of new technologies aimed at empowering women and which will complement proven HIV reduction measures such as condoms, male circumcision, reducing the number of sexual partners, contraception to prevent unintended pregnancies in HIV+ women, and abstinence. We are grateful to USAID for their continued support to this critical area of global health." The PTA award will generate knowledge about biomedical, behavioral, and programmatic solutions for HIV prevention, advance the underlying science, and provide both technical and logistical support through a range of activities covering the following areas: Preventive Technologies Research and Site Development FHI will complete two clinical trials that began under the USAID-funded Contraceptive and Reproductive Health Technologies Research and Utilization Program (CRTU): CAPRISA 004, a clinical trial to assess the safety and effectiveness of vaginal tenofovir gel in South Africa, and FEM-PrEP, a multi-country trial designed to assess the effectiveness and safety of oral Truvada for HIV prevention in women. In addition, FHI will advance the development of new HIV-prevention products based on knowledge that emerges from the ongoing trials. FHI will also continue to develop high-quality research sites to meet the demand of future HIV-prevention studies according to strict international regulatory standards. Within these trials, FHI will use innovative techniques to recruit people at greatest risk of exposure, evaluate behavioral factors that affect adherence and sexual risk-taking, and continue to investigate the role of multiple concurrent partnerships on the epidemic. FHI will also conduct socio-behavioral research to prepare for the successful "roll outs" of effective HIV-prevention products and approaches once they are identified. Research on HIV Prevention Services and Strategies FHI will continue to conduct research and provide technical assistance to:
These research and support activities will help advance the evidence base for service-delivery interventions and inform changes in policies and programs. Support for USAID Field Activities and Science Facilitation FHI will help USAID field missions and in-country partners such as ministries of health, NGOs and private sector organizations by providing technical assistance, and conducting evaluations and pilot studies. FHI will also help provide biostatistical, clinical, and regulatory consulting and services to USAID and other research partners to support their ongoing HIV-prevention efforts. Product Quality and Compliance FHI will continue to ensure the quality of commodities—including condoms for HIV prevention—procured by the US government for its field health programs. In addition, the organization will provide on-site training to help maintain the quality assurance requirements of field programs. About Family Health International Family Health International is a public health and development organization working to improve the lives of the world's most vulnerable people. Our 2,500 staff conduct research and implement programs in 55 countries that advance public health and build local capacity to address development problems. Since 1971, Family Health International has been a global leader in family planning and reproductive health and, since 1986, in the worldwide response to HIV/AIDS. Our research and programs also address malaria, tuberculosis, and other infectious and chronic diseases. Our partners include US and international agencies, governments, foundations, research institutions, and individual donors. For more information, contact: |
|||
|
|||
