The document summarizes the En Avant initiative, which was a collaborative effort between ACCHO and OHTN to develop an impact-focused HIV/AIDS research strategy for African, Caribbean and Black communities in Ontario. It involved forming a planning committee to identify priority research areas and hosting a meeting where stakeholders developed research concepts within those priority areas. The priority areas were: 1) research and evidence-based practices in HIV prevention, treatment and care; 2) clinical and immunological issues across the lifespan; and 3) methodological innovations in HIV research. The meeting resulted in several identified research concepts. Next steps include transitioning leadership of En Avant to ACCHO and providing support for developing the research concepts into grant proposals.

1. ACCHO
CACVO
African and Caribbean
Council on HIV/AIDS
in Ontario
Conseil des Africains
et Caraïbéens sur le
VIH/sida en OntarioTola Mbulaheni1
, Henry Luyombya2
, Hugues Loemba3
, LaRon E. Nelson4
, Mbaka Wadham5
, Rupert Kaul6
, Shamara Baidoobonso7
, Sonia Gaudry7
, Valérie Pierre-Pierre1
, Wangari Tharao8
, Winston Husbands2
Implementing an Impact-Focused HIV/AIDS
Research Strategy for African, Caribbean and
Black Communities in Ontario
EN AVANT :
1
African and Caribbean Council on HIV AIDS in Ontario, Toronto, ON,
2
AIDS Committee of Toronto, Toronto, ON,
3
University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON,
4
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA,
5
Regional HIV/AIDS Connection, London, ON,
6
University of Toronto, Toronto, ON,
7
Ontario HIV Treatment Network, Toronto, ON,
8
Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Community Health Centre, Toronto, ON
1
Ontario Community HIV and AIDS Reporting Tool (OCHART). The View from the Front Lines, (2014): Annual
summary & analysis of data provided by community-based HIV/AIDS services in Ontario. Toronto, ON: AIDS and
Hepatitis C Programs, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Public Health Agency of Canada,
Ontario Region; (2014).
Although disproportionately impacted by HIV, there is a dearth of
research to understand the issues underlying this trend and inform
responses in ACB communities.
3.9%
African, Caribbean and
Black (ACB) people
represent
15%
of Ontario’s population, but
comprise approximately
of new infections in
the province1
.
ACCHO and the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) partnered to
form a planning committee tasked with designing a process for the
generation of research concepts that aligned with priorities identified
in the proposed Ontario HIV/AIDS Strategy to 2026, the Ontario HIV/
AIDS Strategy for ACB Communities 2013-2018, and the RTT3. The
original top six priorities were collapsed into three priority areas:
This led to En Avant, an impact-focused, action-oriented initiative
designed to engage community, clinical and research leaders to
collaboratively identify HIV research concepts and design action plans
to develop these concepts into full proposals for submission to grant
competitions.
In 2012, the African and Caribbean
Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO)
Ontario ACB Research Think Tank (RTT3), providing an opportunity for
a variety of stakeholders to identify research needs, interests, gaps
and priorities.
BACKGROUND
METHODS
RESULTS
A follow-up plan was created to support leaders to maintain
momentum in developing their concepts into HIV research grant
proposals.
8
Identified next steps include
transitioning leadership of En Avant
to the ACCHO Research Committee to ensure sustainable
community ownership. A proceedings report from the action-
planning meeting was developed and can be accessed on the
ACCHO website.
The culmination of the planning process described above was the
En Avant action-planning meeting. The objective of this one-day
meeting was to engage a diverse group of stakeholders from across
the province in developing action steps that will accelerate ACB
HIV research productivity in Ontario. The day comprised overview
presentations, providing insights into the current state of things within
each of the three priority areas. The presentations informed the small
group discussions that followed
where participants collaboratively
developed research concepts
aligning with the priority areas.
The meeting resulted
in the identification of
CONCLUSION
research
concepts.
$
AIDS Bureau
Ministry of
Health and
Long-Term
Care
Ontario HIV
Treatment
Network
Special thanks to the ACCHO
Research Committee, planning
committee members, presenters
and participants.
Funding for the
En Avant initiative
was provided by
the AIDS Bureau,
Ministry of Health
and Long-Term Care
and the Ontario HIV
Treatment Network.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
En Avant is a long-term, strategic and coordinated effort to
bring together community and research leaders to champion
the translation of ACB HIV/AIDS priorities into research action. It
is intended to enhance the ACB HIV/AIDS research agenda and
ultimately, strengthen evidence-based responses to HIV/AIDS in
Ontario’s ACB communities.
1 2 3
ACB
HIV/AIDS priorities
Research
action
Research and community leaders with expertise in each of the priority
areas were identified and engaged to champion the development of
the research proposals and resulting activities.
a Liaising with the
leaders for progress
updates on funding
proposals and
supporting identified
needs and challenges.
c Delivering a webinar
and preparing a resource on
conducting research with ACB
communities in ways that are
ethical and culturally appropriate.
Identified next steps include
transitioning leadership of En
Avant to the ACCHO Research
Committee to ensure sustainable
community ownership.
b Identifying
potential mentors
within each of the
research priority areas
and connecting them
with new researchers
as needed.
Research and
evidence-based practices
in HIV prevention,
treatment and care
Clinical and
immunological
issues
across the
lifespan and
Methodological
innovations in HIV
research
SUPPORT
STRATEGIES
INCLUDE:
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