There is an urgent need to advance the scientific understanding of pediatric HIV and the psychosocial impact of the AIDS epidemic on children in order to enhance practices of prevention, treatment and care. To draw the attention of the scientific community to children infected and affected by the disease, the Prize for Excellence in Research — jointly offed by the Coalition and the International AIDS Society — was first awarded in at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in 2010.
The $2,000 prize is awarded to the investigator whose abstract demonstrates excellence in research likely to lead to improved services for children affected by HIV and AIDS. To be eligible for the prize, abstracts submitted for AIDS conferences must meet the following criteria:
- The abstract must have been accepted as an oral presentation, poster discussion or poster exhibition by the Scientific Programme Committee
- Research must be related to the needs of children affected by HIV. Abstracts related only to adolescents (10 – 19 years of age) will not be considered. Research focusing on the integration of care and support is encouraged.
- Research site must include low- or middle-income countries
Previous prize winners include:
- Makhahliso Jubilee, Lesotho, “Index Tracking model as a strategy in finding children and adolescents, and improving effective referrals.” (2016)
- Louise Kuhn, USA, “HIV antibody detection in children who started antiretroviral treatment in infancy.” (2014)
- 2012 Gabriel Anabwani, Botswana, “The psychosocial impact of HIV on the siblings of infected children.” (2012)
- Priscilla Akwara, USA, “Who is the vulnerable child? Using survey data to identify children at risk in the era of HIV and AIDS.” (2010)
Additional details can be found here.