Dear Advocates,
This message provides an important update about a call for
your input into a draft guidance document on community engagement in HIV
prevention research. We hope you'll read through this message and take the time
to share information about this new document with colleagues around the world.
The document - "Good Participatory Practice Guidelines
for Biomedical HIV Prevention Trials" - was developed by a working group
that was convened by the UNAIDS Secretariat in September 2006, with assistance
from AVAC.
Working group members include researchers, community
educators, NGO representatives, microbicide and vaccine advocates, and
representatives of communities of sex workers and injection drug users.
The working group recognizes that the success of
urgently-needed biomedical HIV prevention trials depends on robust,
mutually-respectful relationships between researchers and involved individuals
and communities.
While it is not possible to create a guidance that spells
out how these relationships should be created in every instance and in specific
detail, the working group shares the view that the HIV prevention research
field will benefit from a systematic guidance which lays out minimum elements
of good practice and creates a common framework for discussion among various
groups.
The draft document, which was created through a
collaborative drafting process, is a first attempt to create this type of
guidance. Input from a diverse array of stakeholders is needed to make this
document as useful, relevant and functional as it needs to be. We hope you will
take the time to review this piece and provide feedback.
The current draft is available at http://data.unaids.org/pub/Manual/2007/goodparticipatorypracticeguidelines_070518_en.pdf.
The working group would welcome your comments on this version, especially overall impressions
with a focus on the document's readability and usability, any particular areas
that you believe need more attention, and what, if anything, you would like to
see added. Your comments can be sent to goodparticipatorypractice@unaids.org.
The deadline for electronic comments on the current version
is June 18th. Comments received by that date will be incorporated into an
updated draft to be available in July 2007.
Working group members also recognize that grassroots
consultations and discussions may take longer and require additional tools. In
the coming months, a discussion guide for community groups will be made
available. If you are interested in using this forthcoming guide with your
community, please send an email to avac@avac.org.
Based on this further input and experience with the draft
document, an updated version of the document will be developed and released
later in 2007.
Please don't hesitate to contact us (avac@avac.org or +1
212.367.1279) if you have
any questions, and please circulate the draft document to other colleagues who
might be interested in reviewing it and submitting comments to goodparticipatorypractice@unaids.org.
Many thanks for your interest and involvement in this
important process.
