USAID Announces New Award for Expanding HIV Prevention Options for Women

Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) launched Maximizing Options to Advance Informed Choice for HIV Prevention (MOSAIC), a new $85 million program funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to help women around the world protect themselves from HIV. FHI 360 will lead a consortium of local and international partners.

The core consortium partners include: LVCT Health, based in Kenya; Pangaea Zimbabwe AIDS Trust, based in Zimbabwe; Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, based in South Africa; Jhpiego, a nonprofit organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University; and New York City – based global HIV prevention advocacy group, AVAC. Local partner leadership and engagement, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, will be intrinsic to the award’s approach to expediting women’s access to new HIV prevention products.

Despite the overall progress in some populations, HIV incidence among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in many regions across sub-Saharan Africa remains disproportionately high; four in five new HIV infections in persons aged 15-19 years old occur in females. Biological, structural, and behavioral factors all contribute to the disproportionate rate of HIV infection and the subsequent complications for many AGYW.

Investments in continued development and the introduction of existing and new biomedical products that are affordable, acceptable, safe, and effective for HIV prevention will contribute substantially to controlling the epidemic. By accelerating the introduction of new HIV prevention products, and expediting prevention product availability, acceptance, and uptake, this new award will ensure that women, especially AGYW, can live a life free from HIV.