A Community Advisory Board (CAB) is a common mechanism used to promote community engagement in clinical research. At KAVI-ICR, CAB represents a formal community advisory mechanism by which communities can have a direct impact on research efforts. This is reflected historically by the response to the AIDS pandemic in which communities have played an important role in shaping the prevention, care, and research agendas, in dialogue with scientists and policymakers. The KAVI-ICR CAB has actually built essential support among important community stakeholders and has helped to avoid unnecessary hindrances to research. CAB’s ambassadorial role cannot go unnoticed as it has generated broad awareness in the community about KAVI-ICR’s mission and research agenda. This awareness helps create fertile ground for eventual trial volunteer recruitment and heightens both willingness to participate in trials as well as volunteer retention.

At KAVI -ICR CAB is an integral part of a defined change-management process designed to balance the need for change with the need to minimize inherent risks with its operations with defined terms of reference (TORs). CAB holds their meetings monthly with ad hoc meetings as it may deem necessary.

CAB held a meeting on 9th April 2021

The agenda of the day is usually sent to the CAB secretary one week prior to the scheduled meeting day which is also shared with the community liaison officers (CLOs) for additions and printing.

Agenda

1. Review of the previous minutes

2. Priority areas:

      A) COVID-19

      B) COVID- 19 vaccines

3. What communities are saying about COVID- 19 vaccines

4. What is the ‘New life re-entry’ approach to communities with the current COVID-19 containment measures?

The meeting started with a word of prayer by the CAB chairperson Pastor Nyabuto Marube who prayed and warmly welcomed all members to the day’s meeting.

The agenda was followed and Prof.Omu Anzala was invited to go through the 2nd agenda. The second agenda took up most of the time as Prof. Omu Anzala had to answer any questions regarding COVID -19.

The 3rd and the 4th agenda will be discussed during the meeting to be held on 9th May 2021.