Building partnerships to respond to HIV/AIDS
Vera Paiva, José Ricardo Ayres, Cassia Maria Buchalla and Norman Hearst
AIDS 2002, 16 (suppl 3):S76–S82
Background: In the second decade of the AIDS epidemic in Brazil, public sector and non-governmental organization (NGO)initiativ es multiplied, fostered by state AIDS Control Programmes. A growing gap between capacity and a need for programme evaluation and the dissemination of findings from experience in the field, combined with the failure of traditional training approaches to bridge this gap adequately, inspired this non-degree research training programme at a major Brazilian university.
Objectives: To train health professionals and activists working with HIV/AIDS prevention and services to evaluate and disseminate their experiences, and to enable them to multiply this training in their organizations, working in a collaborative process with graduate students and senior researchers.
Procedures: As part of a 9-month research methods course, 52 representatives from NGO and public health services produced research protocols that were reviewed and strengthened through a formal peer review process. Eleven protocols judged to be the best received funding and close mentorship over the next 21 months for their implementation, analysis, and dissemination.
Lessons learned: Participants increased their ability to master and review critically the AIDS literature, to conduct a research protocol and to disseminate the results of their studies. After completion of the 30-month process, many participants were able to present their findings at scientific conferences or publish their results in peer-reviewed scientific journals. This model of close NGO–university successful collaboration may inspire other models of research training for those in the front-lines of the fight against the epidemic. & 2002 LippincottWilliams & Wilkins
AIDS 2002, 16 (suppl 3):S76–S82
Keywords: AIDS, evaluation, HIV, prevention, research, training
![Debate-Janaína-Dutra[1]](http://nepaids.vitis.uspnet.usp.br/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Debate-Janaína-Dutra1-80x80.jpg "Debate-Janaína-Dutra[1]")
