On the ground advocacy for NPTs: advocacy, education and

HIV prevention activities

Kadiri AuduIRMA, Nigeria

Introduction

• New Prevention Technologies (NPTs) is a collective term for prevention tools which include microbicides, vaccines, male circumcision, pre-exposure prophylaxis, herpes suppression and cervical barriers.

• While many of these are not yet available, they all could have a positive impact on reducing the risk of HIV transmission.

Introduction - 2

• These technologies are meant to complement existing HIV prevention efforts which include education programs, awareness campaigns, as well as male and female condoms.

• The tools will increase the range of options for people and are part of a comprehensive prevention response to this epidemic.

Advocacy for NPTS

• The main goal of advocacy efforts for NPTs is to ensure that policy makers, public and private sectors invest necessary resources for the research and development of more prevention options for HIV prevention.

Advocacy efforts on the ground

There are lots of advocacy efforts on ground for NPTs globally. These include:

• Raising public awareness to increase and demonstrate broader demand for HIV prevention – IRMA, NHVMAS, AMAG, GCM, AVAC

• Advocacy with donors to fund research and development of NPTs. – AVAC, GCM, IPM, MTN

• Advocacy with programmers to broaden the range of HIV prevention strategies in their programs. NHVMAS

Advocacy efforts on the ground - 2

• Advocacy with policy makers and leaders to fund simultaneous research and development of a range of NPTs – IRMA, AMAG, GCM, AVAC

• Massive targeted community education about the benefits of NPTs – IRMA, S4M, NHVMAS, AMAG, GCM

• Advocacy for additional research and development for NPTs – MTN, IPM, IRMA, GCM, AVAC, AMAG, NHVMAS

• Advocacy for sustained political will and support – AVAC, GCM, AMAG, NHVMAS

IRMA, Nigeria advocacy efforts

Case study of Advocacy, Education and HIV

prevention activities

Involving community stakeholders

• IRMA Nigeria advocacy efforts is geared at mobilising communities of stakeholders to make demands on their government for investment in Microbicide research and development.

• Nigeria has a history of engagement in past microbicide research. NHVMAS has commenced community mobilisation efforts. IRMA just built on the existing efforts to further its work with respect to rectal microbicide advocacy.

Community stakeholder engagement

Communities mobilised• CBOs• Community heads• Youth leaders• Market women• Artisans and craftmen• Health workers

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Tools for community mobilisation

• Campaigns• Sensitisation programs• Trainings• Talks• Music events• Drama

Messages during programmes

Capacity building efforts for peer educators

• Basic facts about HIV• Known HIV prevention

tools• Other biomedical HIV

prevention research• Research literacy• Faciliating peer

mobilisation

Messages during programmes - 2

Musical outreaches• Basic facts about HIV• HIV infection control• Non-stigmatisation of

PLWAs• The future of HIV

control

Messages during programmes - 3

Campaigns and sensitisation programmes

• Basic facts about HIV• STIs management and

prevention• New HIV prevention tools

Messages during programmes - 4

Drama• Skills building for peer

education• Skills building for safer

sex negotiation

Population reached

• Sex workers• Youths• MSMs• Health workers• Market women• General population• Religious leaders• Politicians

Geographical emphasis

• Lagos State• Amuwo Odofin Local

Government area – made possible by a member of IRMA in political office

Lessons learnt on the field

• Information on new biomedical HIV prevention technology has to be tucked within the context of HIV prevention messages.

• Education builds capacity of communities to advocate for themselves and demand for political changes.

• The Nigeria environment is changing with respect to knowledge and community awareness about NPTs. More active actors are emerging in the field – NHVMAS, IRMA, S4M, Safehaven, Good to Neighbours, NYNETHA

Result of advocacy efforts

• Inclusion of NPT issues in National documents ef HIV policy, National strategic framework and national HIV research policy.

• Discussion of NPTs in public discourse – national conferences, Ethics committees, HIV prevention meetings, seminars, newspapers.

• Increasing number of NGOs including information on NPTs in their HIV prevention messages.