Research Agenda 2005-2010:
Priorities for Research on the AIDS Situation and Response in the Philippines

The development of the 4th AIDS Medium Term Plan 2005-2010 (AMTP IV), as well as other significant gains in the area of monitoring and evaluation vis-à-vis the global and national response to AIDS, calls for an updated Research Agenda which is responsive to the changing information needs of the country. Hence, the Research Agenda 2005-2010: Priorities for Research on the AIDS Situation and Response in the Philippines was developed. It is intended to serve as a guide for policy makers, researchers, program planners and implementers, and other stakeholders in the National Response to AIDS.

The Research Agenda can also help to inform decision-makers with regard to the allocation of resources for research. Program planning and implementation which is informed by relevant research will ultimately benefit persons infected and affected by HIV, most-at-risk populations and vulnerable populations, as well as the general public. The Research Agenda is thus envisioned as a contribution toward the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, specifically Goal 6 which sets the following target: “To halt and reverse the spread of HIV by 2015.”

The Research Agenda 2005-2010 features a list of priority topics which is intended to serve as a guide in the selection of research studies to be conducted. The research topics are grouped into four clusters, namely:

1. The burden of illness
2. The determinants of the spread of HIV
3. The responses to HIV and AIDS
4. Enhancing management systems

In addition to the list of priority topics, the Research Agenda 2005-2010 also includes a comprehensive compilation of research studies on HIV and AIDS undertaken from 2000 - 2007.

The topics included in the Research Agenda correspond to vital information needs of the country. Accurate and timely information on various aspects of the HIV situation and the response to AIDS need to be generated so that the country can move toward its goal of preventing the further spread of HIV infection and reducing the impact of the disease by 2010. Furthermore, there is a need to generate information so that the Philippines can prepare the necessary reports which are part of its commitments as a signatory to international agreements, such as the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) Declaration of Commitment on HIV and AIDS. These reports, which are to be submitted at designated intervals, measure the country’s progress in implementing an effective and appropriate response to AIDS.

Copies of the Research Agenda may be requested from:

1. Dr. Jessie Fantone, M&E Officer, PNAC Secretariat - jessiefantone@yahoo.com
2. Ms. Noemi B. Leis, Resource Center Coordinator, HAIN - noemi.leis@hain.org
3. Mr. Zimmbodilion Mosende, M&E Adviser, UNAIDS - mosendez@unaids.org