1. The Rectal Microbicides Research Agenda: A Civil Society Update and Consultation Cape Town, South Africa – 7 October 2011 Jim Pickett – IRMA, AIDS Foundation of Chicago Brian Kanyemba – Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation 1 The Long and Winding Rectal Road… Global Advocacy to Take Us Where We Want To Go

2. Today 2 Who is IRMA? What does IRMA do? South African advocacy What is Project ARM? – Goals, objectives – ICASA 2011 satellite How can you get involved?

3. Who is IRMA? 3

4. Mission: support development of safe, effective, acceptable, and accessible rectal microbicides for all who need them AFC secretariat 1100+ advocates, scientists, funders, policymakers from 6 continents – IRMA-ALC and IRMA Nigeria chapters 4 Born 2005

5. 5 Highly active moderated listserv Website Tons of resources Blog, Facebook, Twitter Global teleconferences Recorded, materials posted Materials Fact sheets, reports

6. 6 rectalmicrobicides.org

7. 7 Survey now available in English, Spanish, French, Russian and Chinese. Portuguese, Thai and German are coming. TAKE IT. PASS THE LINK ALONG! rectalmicrobicides.org

8. South African Rectal Advocacy 8

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11. 11 What’s this all about?

12. 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 12

13. 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. 13 Goals

14. 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 – 45 individuals will participate – Africans/allies Invited: RSA, Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Canada, USA 14 at ICASA 2011

15. – Scholarship program to support additional 16 Africans to attend 145 Africans submitted scholarship applications Announcement made yesterday, 5 October Represented: gay/MSM, female, trans, openly HIV+, researchers, advocates, NGOs Cameroon, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, RSA, Kenya, Nigeria (UK), Rwanda 15 at ICASA 2011

16. 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 mobilisation 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 16 at ICASA 2011

17. 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! 17 Next steps

18. If you think you’re too small to make a difference… you’ve never spent the night with a mosquito. – AFRICAN SAYING

19. Now it’s up to you…

20. Thank you 20 Questions ?

21. Don’t be a stranger 21 jpickett@aidschicago.org brian.kanyemba@hiv-research.org.za Stay in touch.