The aim of this project is to develop a comprehensive, multiprofessional program for the epidemiological and clinical diagnosis, prevention, and management of HIV infection in specific groups of at-risk people such as drug users and their partners, women, and mentally-disordered patients. Combined with the development of techniques and strategies, the project will develop a comprehensive agenda to cover new aspects of the epidemic to be researched at the local and regional level, in collaboration with international research centers. Previous work developed in collaboration with U.S. investigators has generated preliminary studies on seroprevalence and seroincidence of HIV in drug users, as well as pilot studies with motivational techniques for women and sex partners of drug injectors. Brazilian and international advisors will consult with the investigators to refine research aims, train the research group in special techniques, such as the use of standardized measures and epidemiologically advanced approaches for hard to reach populations. As a natural product of these studies, the development of a planning and organizational effort will involve systematic contact with different international and local organizations, allowing for the natural selection of high quality personnel for future collaborative efforts in research and prevention. The core research group will generate lists of infrastructure and facilities required, key persons for inter-institutional contacts, as well as laboratory materials. The major outcome of this project will be a consistent group of research goals which are feasible and contemporary to the AIDS epidemic, a network of local researchers involved in different segments of a larger research grant application - a CIPRA U01 Grant to be submitted at the end of this project.
