The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) today announced that it will join the Population Council and a prestigious consortium of leading HIV research organizations as part of a five-year project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The Supporting Operational AIDS Research (SOAR) project aims to conduct operational HIV and AIDS research, promote utilization and dissemination of data, and build the capacity of local organizations to conduct operational research.
The Population Council will lead project SOAR in partnership with EGPAF, the Johns Hopkins University, the University of North Carolina, the Futures Group, and Futures Institute.
The global research project will determine how best to address challenges and gaps that remain in the delivery of HIV and AIDS care and support, treatment, and prevention services. The SOAR partnership will produce a large, multi-faceted body of high-quality evidence to guide the planning and implementation of programs and policies for HIV prevention, care, and treatment worldwide.
EGPAF will work closely with the Population Council to lead and participate in the design and implementation of research studies, particularly those pertaining to adult and pediatric HIV treatment and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services. EGPAF will also actively engage in strategy development, priority research agenda setting and other analytics to identify and promote key lessons learned and improve program implementation and service delivery.
"We are honored to join USAID, the Population Council, and this group of skilled researchers as we continue our efforts to end AIDS in children through innovative research, advocacy, and program implementation efforts," said Laura Guay, M.D. vice president of research at EGPAF. "EGPAF will build on its work in thousands of health care facilities around the world to conduct state-of-the art research to achieve an AIDS-free generation. SOAR will enhance our work to change the future for children, families, and countries impacted by the AIDS epidemic."
Research has been a core part of EGPAF's mission since it was founded in 1988. EGPAF's operations research programs focus on optimizing health service delivery, building an evidence base for new and innovative interventions, and effectively scaling up promising interventions to improve the lives of families infected with and affected by HIV and AIDS.
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