Led by Dr Nigel Sherriff, the newly formed Centre for Health Research (CHR – formerly the International Health Development Research Centre and the Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Research) has been invited to be a key partner in a new HIV project funded by the Executive Agency for Health and Consumers (EAHC) of the European Commission (EC).
In line with the previous EC Communication on combating HIV/AIDS in the European Union and neighbouring countries (2009-2013), the overall objective of the SIALON II project is to carry out and promote combined and targeted prevention complemented by a meaningful surveillance among men who have sex with men (MSM). In other words, the aim is to develop capacity building and knowledge through both training and on-site coaching under the active supervision, and in collaboration with, UNAIDS and WHO on: a) prevention needs assessment and prevention actions, and; b) innovative surveillance methodologies for hard to reach populations like MSM (time location sampling, respondent driven sampling, HIV and STI testing). The project, thanks to the participation of UNAIDS and WHO, will be implemented in both EU and neighbouring countries using the same methodologies (protocols, UNGASS/ECDC indicators, epidemiological algorithms) and prevention strategies.
Starting in November 2011, SIALON II will run for three years and is coordinated by Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona, Italy.
Further information
For further information about the project see www.sialon.eu or contact Dr Nigel Sherriff N.S.Sherriff@brighton.ac.uk
