IRMA LAC

Top News

 

 

IRMA Announces New Steering Committee Members

Thirteen new members join IRMA's leadership
Push for greater investment, portfolio diversity, global plan

February 10, 2009

International Rectal Microbicide Advocates (IRMA) is delighted to announce the final selection of 13 new members to our international advocacy network’s Steering Committee (SC). An exhaustive process over several months brought in a total of 24 superlative applicants, and after a thorough evaluation, the Nominations Committee highly recommended 13 individuals to join.

“We were both thrilled and humbled by the very high quality of the applications we received for the Steering Committee,” said Marc-André LeBlanc, IRMA Secretary. “With limited space, this made the work of the Nominations Committee quite challenging. As it is, the group recommended more individuals than we had planned for – so we expanded the SC to accommodate.”

Read the rest on the IRMA blog.

Click here in the coming months to read profiles of New SC members.

New Members


Kadiri Audu
National Youth Network on HIV/AIDS and Population Control
Lagos, Nigeria
Click here to read his profile.


Deborah Baron
Microbicides Media and Communications Initiative
Johannesburg, South Africa


Latifa Boyce
Alliance for Microbicide Development
Washington, DC, USA


Dr. Alex Carballo-Dieguez
Columbia University
New York, NY, USA


Dr. Ross Cranston
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Click here to read his profile.


Cindra Feuer
AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition
New York, NY, USA


Edward Fuchs
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD, USA


Lourence Misedah
Ishtar MSM
Nairobi, Kenya


Dr. Kathleen Morrow
Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Providence, RI, USA


Dr. Olanrewaju Onigbogi
University College Hospital
Ibadan, Nigeria


Jo Robinson
Terrence Higgins Trust
London, England


Dr. Jorge Sanchez
Peruvian HIV Clinical Trials Unit
Lima, Peru


Dr. Roger J. Tatoud
Imperial College London
London, England


Returning Members


Julie Davids
Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project
Providence, RI, USA
Click here to read her profile.


Jerome Galea
University of California Los Angeles Program in Global Health
Lima, Peru
Click here to read his profile.


Bridget Haire, IRMA Vice Chair
Australian Federation of AIDS Organizations
Sydney, Australia


Marc-Andre LeBlanc, IRMA Secretary
Global Campaign for Microbicides
Ottawa, Canada
Click here to read his profile.


Rick Jones
GNP+
Amsterdam, Netherlands


Jeremy Kwan
PT Foundation
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Click here to read his profile.


Dr. Ken Mayer
Brown University, Fenway Community Health
Boston, MA, USA


Dr. Ian McGowan
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Click here to read his profile.


Jim Pickett, Chair
AIDS Foundation of Chicago
Chicago, IL, USA


Roy Wadia
British Columbia Centre for Disease Control
Vancouver, Canada, currently in Mumbai, India

 

 

IRMA Releases New Publication Menos Silencio, Más Ciencia

Translated Document to Enhance Rectal Microbicide Advocacy
in the Spanish-Speaking World

Friday, August 1, 2008

Mexico City, Mexico – International Rectal Microbicide Advocates (IRMA) released "Menos Silencio, Más Ciencia" in Mexico City today at a presentation preceding the 17th International AIDS Conference.

This Spanish language version of IRMA’s February 2008 publication "Less Silence, More Science" serves as an authoritative reference on recent developments and current efforts in rectal microbicide research. The groundbreaking report describes global challenges, advocacy goals, and key strategies to advance scientific discovery on topical rectal products which confer protection against HIV transmission. As HIV incidence and prevalence increase globally, this document aims to promote the research and development of rectal microbicides among the more than 300 million native Spanish speakers worldwide.

As indicated by the publication’s title, anal intercourse remains largely stigmatized, even in medical and scientific research surrounding HIV prevention and care. This silence results in the reduction of critical discussion and study on the topic. Socio-cultural taboos surrounding anal sex restrict scientific advancements in many places, and Latin America, the Caribbean and South America are no exception.

Read the full release here.

 

"Making Anal Sex Safer for MSM in the Developing World"

IRMA to present at "The Invisible Men" - a pre-conference event at the 2008 International AIDS Conference

April 28, 2008

The Global Forum on MSM and HIV has announced that registration for the AIDS 2008 pre-conference event, “The Invisible Men: Gay Men and Other MSM in the Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic”, is now open. The event will be held on August 1st and 2nd at the Sheraton Maria Isabel Hotel & Towers in Mexico City. Attendance is free of charge with around 400 people expected to participate. IRMA is pleased to be presenting the 90-minute workshop, "Making Anal Sex Safer for MSM in the Developing World" in collaboration with IRMA-ALC and others.

Click for more info on the event.

 

IRMA has a new sister!

IRMA-ALC [América Latina y El Caribe] Leads Scientists and Advocates in Rectal Microbicide Research and Awareness Efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean

April 24, 2008

Lima, Peru - Yes, IRMA has a new sister - IRMA-ALC (América Latina y El Caribe) - which will focus on rectal microbicide advocacy and research efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean. This exciting, new collaboration - with chairs from Peru, Ecuador and Brazil - was officially announced on the IRMA teleconference - "Successful Implementation of HIV Prevention Trials in Peru" - which took place today. Click here to see the slides from that call.

Says IRMA-ALC chair Jerome Galea - "In all of Latin America and the Caribbean, there are only two microbicide clinical trials underway, one in the Dominican Republic and the other in Puerto Rico; both are for vaginal products. These studies represent important steps in the advancement of microbicide research. Nevertheless, in much of Latin America, HIV is transmitted by anal intercourse, making vital the advocacy, development, testing and availability of rectal microbicides for men and women in the region. Together with IRMA, IRMA-ALC provides a framework for citizens, advocates and scientists from countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean to put rectal microbicides on the regional map by disseminating information in local languages and promoting their culturally competent research and development. "

Click here for IRMA-ALC's webpage.