Population Council Research that makes a difference

Halt the HIV pandemic; support people affected by AIDS

The Population Council's Men’s Health Network Nigeria seeks to ensure that all men in Nigeria receive appropriate, comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention services. The network targets populations considered most at risk.

The Population Council’s HIV and AIDS program is devoted to understanding and slowing the spread of the HIV epidemic. We also enable people to reduce the negative impact of HIV on their lives and their families, communities, and societies. Through biomedical, behavioral, and applied program research, we expand the access of underserved groups to innovative products and services that have documented effectiveness.

Program objectives

  • Advance the state of knowledge regarding HIV transmission and pathogenesis.
  • Develop and test improved microbicides and ones that prevent sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy as well as HIV infection.
  • Reduce HIV acquisition and transmission by vulnerable populations, such as men who have sex with men, sex workers, and mobile populations.
  • Determine cost-effective, safe, and effective methods of delivering HIV prevention technologies, including male and female condoms and male circumcision services.
  • Contribute to the elimination of childhood deaths from AIDS.

Impact

  • The Population Council received support from the Campbell Foundation to explore the potential of a novel and promising approach to inhibiting HIV infection using the Designed Ankyrin Repeat Protein (DARPin) technology. Our initial experiments are examining the potential of DARPins to bind to specific HIV targets in vitro and in monkeys. If successful, we and our Swiss colleagues will investigate whether DARPins can be adapted for topical application in a microbicide.
  • The Council’s Phase 3 clinical trial of the candidate microbicide Carraguard® was the first Phase 3 trial of a novel candidate microbicide to be conducted among a general population of women and completed as planned without any safety concerns—a milestone for microbicides development. Our trial determined Carraguard was safe for use during vaginal sex but did not show that it is effective in preventing HIV transmission. Lessons learned are being used to develop future candidate microbicides.
  • In Kenya, the Council’s work dispelled the myth that men who have sex with men (MSM) do not exist and contributed to the Kenya National AIDS Control Council to include MSM in national HIV policy for the first time.
  • We have received support from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the UK Department for International Development to test groundbreaking approaches for using technology to provide information and track the use of services by men most at risk of HIV in Nigeria. This project will use Web-based information portals, telephone hotlines, and mobile short message services to deliver targeted HIV messages. "Smartcards" presented by men at the point-of-service will allow the program managers to monitor referrals, service use, and links to other services, such as treatment groups.
  • We are the research partner in the Male Circumcision Partnership, which was recently awarded a five-year, $50 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This partnership is led by Population Services International and also includes Marie Stopes International and Jhpiego. Working with the governments of Swaziland and Zambia, the partnership estimates that the project will provide voluntary male circumcision services to nearly 650,000 men.
  • The Caregiver Project, developed by the Population Council in South Africa, is helping HIV-positive children access life-saving medical treatment and providing an outreach model that can be replicated across Africa.

Resources

Selected publications

  • From bench to bedroom: The Population Council's HIV and AIDS program (PDFs: A4 and letter)
    Fact sheet
    Publication Date: 2009

  • Evaluation of HIV counseling and testing in ANC settings and adherence to short course antiretroviral prophylaxis for PMTCT in Francistown, Botswana (PDF)
    Baek, Carolyn; Creek, Tracy; Jones, Lee Ann; Apicella, Louis; Redner, Jennifer; Rutenberg, Naomi
    Horizons Final Report
    Publication Date: 2009

  • HIV Testing, Treatment and Prevention: Generic Tools for Operational Research (PDF) (more)
    World Health Organization; Population Council
    Publication Date: 2009

  • MSM consultation stimulates action to address "the overlooked epidemic" (PDF)
    Fact sheet
    Publication Date: 2008

  • Pilot community-based intervention to address the needs of elderly caregivers in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa (PDF)
    Reddy, Priscilla; James, Shegs; Bilay-Boon, H.Mutumba; Williams, E.; Khan, Hena
    Horizons Research Summary
    Publication Date: 2009

Selected projects

  • Documenting Avahan, the India AIDS Initiative (more)
    The Population Council is synthesizing and analyzing the wealth of data collected by Avahan to gain insight that will guide future initiatives for HIV prevention in India and other countries with similar concentrated epidemics.
    (1/2009 - 1/2014)
    India
    HIV prevention; Injecting drug users; Men who have sex with men; Mobile populations; Sex workers

  • Evaluation of Services for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, People Living with HIV/AIDS and Youth in Zambia (RAPIDS) (more)
    The Council is evaluating the RAPIDS program, which offers a holistic package of care and support services aimed at improving the quality of life of people who are living with HIV, children living within their households, and youth within their communities.
    (8/2004 - 8/2010)
    Zambia
    Monitoring and evaluation; Orphans and vulnerable children; People living with HIV

  • Identifying and Testing Children at Increased Risk for HIV Through Caregivers: The Caregiver Project (more)
    The Caregiver Project addresses the need for increased pediatric HIV testing and early diagnosis in South Africa.
    (10/2007 - 9/2010)
    South Africa
    HIV care, support, and treatment; HIV prevention; Orphans and vulnerable children; PMTCT and pediatric HIV

  • Male Circumcision Partnership: Achieving Scale (more)
    The Male Circumcision Partnership is establishing multisectoral provider networks for high-quality adult male circumcision services.
    (1/2009 - 1/2014)
    Swaziland, Zambia
    Male circumcision; Sexuality and sexual behavior

  • Transmission of Immunodeficiency Viruses (more)
    Understanding how human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is transmitted during sexual intercourse and how co-pathogens impact HIV spread is a focus of Council research.
    (1/2005 - ongoing)
    United States
    HIV biomedical research