Abstract
Community Advisory Board (CAB) is the main mechanism for community engagement of these trials. Most CABs have limited autonomy in providing recommendations due to power relationship between researchers and CABs. Research institutions handled CAB formation with limited inputs from communities. CAB inputs are reduced to reviewing inform consent documents. Most institutes don't have structured plan to strengthen CAB capacity. CABs are not educated about their role and responsibility resulting in confusion and conflict of interest.
The Thai NGO Coalition on AIDS (TNCA) with supports from AVAC is promoting community engagement including: 1. Good Participatory Practices (GPP) promotion for research institutions and stakeholder 2. GPP integration in national policy and mechanism
1. Stakeholder consultations on the 2nd edition of GPP 2. GPP trainings of trainers for research institutions and a lessons learned workshop 3. The Thai National AIDS Management Center (NAMc) and the Department ofDisease Control with inputs from TNCA organized series of workshops on HIV research and strategic programing involving key stakeholders and targeted populations. 4. The Thai National AIDS Committee established the Sub-committee of Biomedical HIV Prevention recommended by NAMc. 5. TNCA formed a National CAB consisted of members of existing CABs in the country to enhance CAB capacity in HIV and clinical research.
1. GPP is integrated in the national AIDS plan for biomedical HIV research. 2. Ethical committees and research institutes become familiar with GPP. Some research institutes develop stakeholder engagement plans based on GPP.