Global Network of Researchers on Justification for network: The documented rise in the last three years of HIV infections in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is alarming. UNAIDS estimates of the total number of people living with HIV in the region had risen from 210,000 in 1998 to 460,000 in 2006; more than double the estimated cases. This past year 68,000 people were newly infected with HIV in the region and 36,000 adults and children died of AIDS-related conditions. This should be strong incentive for rapid international, regional and national action, yet relatively few efforts, to this date, have been made. In practice, HIV in the MENA region is poorly addressed by donor agencies and in most cases also by national agencies. Political, technical, financial and human resources, mobilization for HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support are close to nil. This lack of action stands in strong contrast to the epidemiology of STI/HIV in the region, with the doubling of HIV infections and a sharp rise in STIs. The characteristics of the HIV epidemic (and the STI pre-cursors) in MENA are adding to the urgency: the proportion of women infected is increasing and the major modes of transmission are heterosexual sex and intravenous drug use. MENA is a troubled region of the world, with several dramatic military conflicts, terrorism of the world's largest scale, economic and other sharp inequalities, religious tensions, and several long lasting epidemics of severe infectious diseases. All of these social and economic factors significantly influence the spread of HIV/AIDS in the region. Perhaps due to these social conflicts, research on HIV/ AIDS and STIs in MENA is scarce. Across the region there is a clear need for more, better and in-depth information concerning the patterns of HIV transmission, especially among at-risk populations. Group Background: The idea for the Global Network of Researchers on HIV/AIDS in the Middle East and North Africa Region (GNR-MENA) was conceived in April 2003 by an interdisciplinary team of fifteen scholars gathered in Chicago. The network is an effort to develop a collaborative, interdisciplinary research agenda on HIV/AIDS in the Middle East for the next five to ten years. One of the major goals of GNR-MENA is to be a scientific forum with no political or disciplinary boundaries that will help facilitate and promote research and scholarly exchange on HIV/AIDS in MENA. As of March 2007, we have 115 members. Mission: The Global Network of Researchers on HIV/AIDS in the Middle East and North Africa is a network of researchers interested in the interdisciplinary study of HIV/AIDS. Its focus is on the manifestation of the disease and its epidemic nature in the Middle East and North Africa region. GNR-MENA promotes and facilitates a regional, interdisciplinary approach to research on HIV/AIDS in the Middle East and North Africa.The network encourages rigorous research that addresses the epidemiological, socio-economic, cultural, and societal factors in the region that influence HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care, all of which its members view as clearly interconnected. Objectives: GNR-MENA serves as a forum for scientific exchange, debate and networking for researchers from diverse perspectives and disciplines from around the world who are interested in studying, better understanding, and effectively responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Middle East and North Africa region. To do this, the network has five main objectives: 1. To increase awareness of HIV/AIDS in MENA at the national, regional and international levels. 2. To develop research and educational agendas in the areas of work of its members. 3. To facilitate the flow and exchange of information, data, and study results among its members. 4. To publish and present joint statements, comparative and other data as well as educational materials. 5. To promote regional cooperation. Participation in GNR-MENA is open to all researchers from the region and outside of it who share this vision. Membership is free. Structure: The structure of this network is pyramidal in that it consists of a central advisory committee with several ancillary committees. Network administration and operation is housed at the University of Illinois-Chicago School of Medicine, where the idea for the network was originally conceived. GNR-MENA membership and committee structure, however, spans the many countries and sites where participating researchers and clinicians are located. Committees: GNR-MENA is made up of several committees, including the Advisory Committee, Research and Grants Committee, Conference Committee, Recruitment Committee and Communications/Website Committee. Committee members are volunteers. When necessary, elections will be held. Membership: Participation in GNR-MENA is open to all researchers from the region and outside of it who share this vision. Membership is free. Membership in GNR-MENA is voluntary, individual, and open to researchers and clinicians from all disciplines who focus their research on HIV/AIDS in specific MENA countries or on the region as a whole. Communication methods: Members communicate primarily via a members-only listserv. A moderator of the listserv is selected. Messages are checked for academic and topical relevance. Funding: Funding for the infrastructure and projects of network members are sought from a variety of sources, international, regional and local. The GNR-MENA is not a funding source. Navid Madani, GNR-MENA Chair: Navid Madani, Ph.D., Chair, creates and sustains a broad vision for the organization. The Chair establishes a two to five year plan of goals and activities, establishes contacts and creates partnerships with international and regional HIV/AIDS agencies, networks with key players and scholars in the region, creates and sustains sub-committees of GNR-MENA (research, communications, recruitment, etc.) and communicates with all levels of membership. The Chair serves as the chair of the Advisory Committee. The Chair assists the Executive Director (ED) in the implementation of programs and activities, helps the ED find funding streams, and assists the ED in fully and effectively implementing network goals. Rachel Kaplan, GNR-MENA Executive Director: Rachel Kaplan, MPH, Executive Director, is responsible for the managerial, logistic, and administrative operations of the network and implementation of the network's programmatic priorities. The ED maintains and updates the website, coordinates fundraising efforts, represents the network to funders and other potential partners, and cultivates membership and member involvement. The ED serves on the Advisory Committee and works with the Chair to establish and sustain committees. The ED is responsible for securing sufficient financial support and technical assistance to sustain the activities of the network.
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