Building a Microbicides Movement Partnerships in advocacy and science. Global Campaign for Microbicides

“If scientists can put a man on the moon, why can’t they make something women can use to protect ourselves from AIDS? Ugandan participant in violence workshop, 1992

Why Not? Women advocates investigate the possibility with scientists Few scientists working on microbicides, very little support or funding Collaboration between women’s health advocate and scientist to write “The Case for Microbicides” (1993)

A growing movement Recognition that advocacy from a women’s health and reproductive rights framework was needed, along with the scientific research. Ongoing informal collaboration between women’s health advocates, microbicides scientists and government agencies in US. WHAM formed, International consultation on practical and ethical dilemmas in clinical trials, Global Campaign for Microbicides launched in 1998.

What is the Global Campaign? Small team, “secretariat” based in US and international steering committee to provide guidance and strategy Partnership with co-sponsoring organizations that endorsed the goals of the Campaign, all working in their own domain.

Goals of the Global Campaign ãRaise awareness and mobilize political support for increased funding for microbicide research, female condom and cervical barrier methods; ãCreate a supportive policy environment for the timely development, introduction and use of new prevention technologies; and  Ensure that as science proceeds, the public interest is protected and the rights and interests of trial participants, users, and communities are fully represented and respected.

Awareness-raising and Resource Mobilization Strategies differ between global North and South North- increase public investment in research and development South- demonstrate demand and confront myths that act as barriers

Supportive policy environment Anticipating and answering policy questions Building knowledge, capacity of policy- makers Building networks to tackle policy issues Providing evidence of impact of new prevention technologies Support research that addresses policy questions

Protecting public interest Global Campaign’s “constituency” is the eventual users of microbicides GCM advocates WITHIN the microbicides field on issues that affect our constituency Ethics consultations Community involvement in research Trade-offs between speed, certainty, and expense

Global Campaign Today Over 200 endorsing organizations, 20+ partner organizations. Work with Alliance, IFH, IPM, research networks etc. Active/growing “sites” in 10 US cities and Canada, UK/Ireland, India, Uganda, South Africa, Thailand, Ghana. Within broad agenda of Global Campaign, sites create their own agendas relevant to their needs, interests, and constituency.

The M2004 pre-conference Preparation for advocates to participate in the scientific discussions Updates to help inform advocacy Opportunity for advocates and scientists to meet and share strategies

Acknowledgements Scholarship committee for arranging travel to allow for participation in the workshop Imperial Medical College for the space Lorna Calquhon for support and assistance with arrangements Imogen Fua and Bindiya Patel for preparation, communication, and materials

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the next best time is now.