Co-Investigator, MaxART Treatment as Prevention

Overview:

Maximizing ART for Better Health and Zero New HIV Infections In Swaziland, the country with the highest HIV prevalence in the world, a consortium of multi-disciplinary stakeholders[i], led by the Government of Swaziland, is managing MaxART – Maximizing ART for Better Health and Zero New HIV Infections.  MaxART is a comprehensive programme that combines innovative activities designed to overcome many of the remaining barriers preventing Swaziland from realizing its potential and to maximize the impact of Swaziland’s current national HIV testing, care, and treatment efforts.  This involves strengthening facility and community systems, expanding and decentralizing treatment for all who currently need it, promoting all aspects of care, and ensuring high quality services so that people are retained in care.  Further, MaxART includes social science research and mathematical and epidemiological modeling to better understand issues including loss of clients living with HIV but not yet ready for ART from the health system, under-utilization of services among marginalized and vulnerable populations, and the ethical and human rights implications of expanding HIV testing, care, and treatment on such a comprehensive scale.  With these strong systems and improved understanding of the realities and needs on the ground, Swaziland is also embarking on a 3-year Treatment as Prevention Implementation Study to understand the feasibility, acceptability, outcomes, affordability, and scalability of offering treatment for people living with HIV, irrespective of CD4 and viral load, within the national health system.  All interventions within MaxART are being implemented and coordinated with the initiatives of other donors and partners, already underway in Swaziland.  Clinton Health Access Initiative Founded in 2002, by President William J. Clinton, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to strengthening integrated health systems around the world and expanding access to care and treatment for HIV/AIDS, malaria and other illnesses. Based on the premise that business-oriented strategy can facilitate solutions to global health challenges, CHAI acts as a catalyst to mobilize new resources and optimize the impact of these resources to save lives, via improved market organization, management support, and strategic use of data to inform evidence-based, cost-effective policies and programs.  By working in association with governments and other NGO partners, CHAI is focused on large-scale impact.

Responsibilities:

The MaxART TasP Co-Investigator will be jointly responsible with the Principal Investigator from the Ministry of Health (MOH) for the design, management, and evaluation of this Treatment as Prevention Implementation Study.  Specific responsibilities include: Lead development of the research protocol, including the precise research questions and hypotheses to be tested in the implementation study.  Formulate, in collaboration with other experts on the research team, the most relevant study design and data collection and analysis methods in order to arrive at scientifically sound and complementary methodologies for the mathematical modeling, statistical analyses, impact evaluation, and cost-effectiveness analysis components. Manage study team and oversee all study activities, including organizing training for staff at health facilities and leading data collection, data management, and statistical analysis. Develop all study documents and tools in collaboration with the research team. Ensure all research activities are responsive to the realities of people living with and affected by HIV and that they respect ethical and human rights principles. In collaboration with Research Team, regularly present results of study to a variety of audiences and key stakeholders. Serve as knowledge base on current trends and findings from Treatment as Prevention research to ensure the MaxART study is aligned and relevant to global evidence. Supervision & Reporting: The MaxART TasP Co-Investigator will report to the Clinton Health Access Initiative Country Director in Swaziland and will work closely with the entire MaxART Consortium and Study Team.

Qualifications:

Advanced degree, preferably an MD or a PhD in epidemiology, public health, infectious diseases, biostatistics, economics, or related field Minimum 5 years of relevant experience of which at least 2 years of proven success in a leadership role coordinating large-scale, externally-funded research in one or more of the following fields: Randomized controlled trials Cluster randomized controlled trials Non-randomized cohort studies Longitudinal operational research Track record of success in having work published in leading, peer-reviewed public health journals Proficient in advanced statistics within programs such as Stata or SAS Experience conducting research activities in a developing country, including understanding of Institutional Review Board (IRB) and national Ethics Committee processes and procedures Exceptional relationship building and interpersonal skills, and an ability to collaborate effectively with a wide range of partners and stakeholders in a culturally diverse environment Strong project management skills, including demonstrated ability to think independently, be flexible, and juggle multiple priorities under tight deadlines [i] The MaxART Consortium is comprised of STOP AIDS NOW!, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Swaziland National Network of People Living with HIV (SWANNEPHA), Global Network of People living with HIV (GNP+), South Africa Centre for Epidemiological Modeling and Analyses (SACEMA), Southern Africa HIV & AIDS Information Dissemination Service)) in collaboration with in-country partners including the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)’s implementing partners, Médecins Sans Frontières, University of Amsterdam, and the United Nations.