Moving to The Future

C urrently, 40 million people around the world have HIV/AIDS. The enormity of the
epidemic compels us to make every effort to draw on and use effective prevention strategies in combination with screening and treatment. HHD staff believe that VOICES/VOCES is a model of a promising, brief, cost-effective preventive measure. Further, the approach to developing VOICES/VOCES as an effective clinic and community-based HIV intervention can be used to develop programs for the global epidemic. This approach includes:

1. A strong foundation in social and behavioral sciences and
recognition of the value of multidisciplinary teams of
researchers and practitioners

2. Innovative educational approaches to promote behavior
change

3. Commitment to working with communities and community
service providers to develop interventions that meet their
needs and build upon community strengths

4. Commitment to developing interventions that are gender
— andculturally — relevant and seek to address pressing
health issues that contribute to ongoing health disparities

5. Understanding of the importance of developing, testing, and
tailoring interventions to real-world settings and
overcoming barriers to prevention service delivery

HHD continues its HIV prevention work in the United States and has extended its expertise globally to work with the World Health Organization and the global teachers’ union, Education International, to design prevention strategies for teachers to use in their communities and to educate their students. No matter the setting or health risk, HHD’s approach will continue to draw on a team of stellar scientists and practitioners working together over the longterm to design evidence-based interventions that will meet the real-world needs of their clients and settings.