The Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health has been awarded a five-year contract for up to $48 million for HIV Prevention Program Research from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Bureau for Global Health’s Office of HIV/AIDS, under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The project will promote greater use of evidence in the design and implementation of HIV prevention programs in countries most affected by the HIV epidemic. The Hopkins team, in partnership with organizations in developing countries, will conduct research to identify the most effective interventions for preventing HIV, increase the use of data to guide programs and policies, and build capacity for applied research among health professionals. The project will also take the lead in developing a “go-to” international resource for disseminating best practices in HIV prevention. Jane T. Bertrand, PhD, professor in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Department of Health, Behavior and Society and technical director of the Center for Communication Programs (CCP), will direct the new project. Stella Babalola, also a faculty member in HBS and senior researcher at CCP, will serve as deputy director. The project will tap the expertise of faculty throughout the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the Johns Hopkins schools of Medicine and Nursing, and Jhpiego. “This new initiative allows us to combine under a single mechanism the best that Hopkins has to offer: solid scientific expertise in HIV prevention, a demonstrated track record for translating research findings into action programs, a world-class knowledge management system for disseminating emerging results, and experience in training health professionals from developing countries in research methodologies,” said Bertrand. Tom Quinn, MD, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health, said, “This new project illustrates the value of the Center for Global Health in bringing together faculty from across the University to contribute from their own areas of expertise to the challenge of HIV prevention.” The Center for Global Health was created in 2006 to promote collaboration on global health activities throughout the University and is a partnership of the Schools of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing. CCP, a part of the Department of Health, Behavior and Society, works in over 30 countries to design and implement strategic health communication programs, conducts innovative research and evaluation, and is a leader in knowledge management for global health. Contact for Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Tim Parsons at 410-955-7619 or tmparson@jhsph.edu.
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