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AVAC is delighted to announce the 2020 AVAC Advocacy Fellows, ushering in the new decade as the 11th class of the Fellows Program! As we mark this milestone of the program in 2020, we will be reflecting on the lessons and accomplishments of the last decade and looking forward to how the Fellows program can continue to help strengthen the HIV prevention movement.
Seven 2020 Advocacy Fellows have been selected from a pool of more than 150 applicants from 24 countries. We are happy to welcome our new class and our first Fellow from Eswatini. We thank all of the applicants and their proposed host organizations for the time and effort put into the application process. We're also grateful to the independent review committee of advocates, scientists and former Fellows and hosts who guided our decision-making.
Join us in welcoming the seven 2020 AVAC Advocacy Fellows and their host organizations:
- Josephine Aseme, Heartland Alliance, Nigeria
- Chisomo Chaweza, Malawi Network of Religious Leaders Living With HIV, Malawi
- Lomcebo Dlamini, Super Buddies Club, Eswatini
- Mandisa Dukashe, Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, South Africa
- Winifred Ikilai, National Forum of People Living with HIV & AIDS Networks in Uganda, Uganda
- Joyce Ouma, National Empowerment Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS in Kenya, Kenya
- Esnart Sikazindu, Community Based TB/HIV/AIDS Organisation, Zambia
The 2020 Fellows' year begins in April at a time when there are critical issues demanding action in the HIV prevention field to advance our collective goal of ending the epidemic. Among these issues are the anticipated regulatory opinion on the dapivirine ring; trial results from the AMP study; possible preliminary results from long-acting injectable PrEP; implications of the early stop of continued vaccinations in the HVTN 702 vaccine trial; the development of a novel trial design to study oral F/TAF as PrEP in women; advances toward a possible dual pill for HIV prevention and contraception; new global targets for prevention; evaluation of innovative prevention delivery under PEPFAR’s DREAMS program; and understanding the recent “universal test and treat” trial results.
Please visit the Advocacy Fellows page to learn more about their planned work for the year. We hope you'll find ways to collaborate with them in 2020 and beyond.
The 2020 Fellows join a group of 70 current Advocacy Fellows and alumni from ten countries who have participated in the program over the last 10 years.
A Call for Applications for the 2021 Fellows Program will be announced mid-2020. If you would like to be notified or have any questions, please email us at fellows@avac.org.
And stay tuned for more information about the 10 years of the Advocacy Fellows Program!