Omololu Falobi Awards for Excellence in HIV Prevention Research Community Advocacy presented

Lori Heise is the Director for the Global Campaign for Microbicides, based in Washington D.C. Heise was honored for her leadership and commitment to the involvement of communities in microbicide research as partners, and her visionary leadership as a founding member of the Global Campaign for Microbicides. The selection committee praised Heise's practice in cultivating leadership and inspiring advocates worldwide. It is with this mandate, that she has led the Campaign to use its resources to build capacity, support leadership, and implement joint projects with other NGOs, many of them now vital leaders. The committee highlighted one referee's words in saying, "the field of microbicide advocacy is the lengthened shadow of one woman, Lori Heise"

The honorees were chosen by an independent international panel of HIV prevention research advocates and researchers, including Salim Abdool Karim of South Africa, Nomita Chandhiok of India, Tim Farley of Switzerland, Nadine France of Thailand, Shaun Mellors of the South Africa, Alex Menezes of Brazil, Kingsley Obom-Egbulem of Nigeria, Badri Saxena of India, and Laurie Sylla of USA. The award review committee was constituted and invited to play this role by the Award Planning Committee.

The inaugural Falobi awards will be presented at the Closing Ceremony of International Microbicides 2008 Conference in New Delhi, India. The planning committee has raised resources to ensure that the award is sustained through the next decade.

"This award is important in keeping Omololu's vision alive. It will be a visible platform for ongoing recognition of the contribution of advocates and leaders to the HIV prevention research field," said Olayide Akanni of Journalists Against AIDS in Nigeria. "We are pleased to launch the award by honouring two people who have made enormous contributions to the field. Omololu would be proud of their work and deserving of this honour."

The award was conceptualised and the process coordinated by the African Microbicides Advocacy Group (AMAG) in partnership with the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC), the Global Campaign for Microbicides (GCM), Journalists Against AIDS in Nigeria (JAAIDS), the Nigerian HIV Vaccine & Microbicides Advocacy Group (NHVMAG), and the Treatment Action Movement Nigeria (TAM). Financial support for the 2008 Award came from AMAG, AVAC, GCM, NHVMAG and Family Health International.