Zimbabwe, a country with a population of 12 million, has an HIV prevalence rate of 32% among adults, and a death rate of 2,000 AIDS patients per week. The infection rate among children born to HIV-positive mother is also 28%. The majority of the HIV infected patients cannot afford or access antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) because of the prohibitive cost. However, the recent developments in reduction of the cost of ARVs, offer of free nevirapine by Boeringher-Ingelheim to all HIV positive mothers in developing countries, make the use of these drugs a reality in Zimbabwe. The R03 grant application is aimed at organizing a research group, planning a research program, establishing the necessary infrastructure in preparation for the Exploratory/Developmental (U01) grant application. The long-term objective of this application is to develop a research infrastructure, which will provide the foundation to conduct research on practical and affordable methods for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe.
The specific aims for the R03 grant application are: to (i) organize an interdisciplinary research group and plan a program focused on clinical and laboratory research needs in mother to child transmission of HIV and the implementation of ARV therapy (ii) identify and obtain space, to set up an immunology/virology laboratory (iii) identify and obtain office space for an administrative structure for management and administration of the CIPRA funds (iv) identify and obtain office space for a data management center for storage of participant forms and specimens, data management and analysis (v) identify clinical and laboratory scientists, statisticians, technologists, laboratory manager, administrative assistants and research nurses for training in the clinical and laboratory monitoring of ARV therapy (vi) identify regional and international collaborators to help in the establishment of the immunology/virology and for training of research personnel and (vii) identify an external review board to monitor and assess project activities. The proposing team of investigators will hold two three-day workshops a year to identify multidisciplinary HIV/AIDS research projects. The Scientific Coordinating Committee will hold monthly meetings to spearhead the writing up of the identified projects for the U01 grant, identify and obtain the required space as well as submission of consents, protocols to the IRB, the Medical Research Councils and Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe.
