Of primary importance is greater research into the epidemiological and demographic features of the black African HIV epidemic in England, particularly as the dispersal system forces many new and vulnerable people out of London where much HIV health prevention and care activity is located.

• Large social mapping of black African communities in order to identify the setting and methodologies for accessing black African communities.
• The demographic distribution of HIV amongst black African communities in England.
• Pan-London behavioural surveillance.

Health services and health prevention interventions

• Understanding barriers to use of sexual health services.
• Evaluation of HIV prevention initiatives.
• Development of research tools to reflect black African community experience.

Epidemiology and monitoring

• Much remains unknown about the epidemiological and demographic features of the African HIV epidemic, and this becomes more urgent as the dispersal system forces many new and vulnerable people out of London.
• Sexual behaviour - there is a critical need for a better understanding of the sexual behaviours and attitudes of Africans with or at risk of HIV, in the context of cultural practices and beliefs, relationships, gender disparity, and economic status.
• Gender specific research - there is an urgent need for more understanding of attitudes, beliefs and practices surrounding breast-feeding, pregnancy and termination, experiences of antenatal testing, male approaches to condom use, experiences and behaviours of African men, sexual negotiation and masculinity.
• Specific sub-populations - more information is needed on asylum seekers and visitors, Africans who inject drugs, African men who have sex with men and African sex workers.
• Health services and prevention interventions - patterns of service use by African communities, evaluation of HIV prevention interventions, the development of research tools to reflect African community experience.
• More research is needed to fill the considerable gaps in the evidence-base about the social care needs of Africans affected by HIV. Such research could include how social exclusion and the social determinants of health interplay to create health inequalities.

In September 2001 the African HIV Research Forum was launched. Its main aim is to bring together individuals and organisations to focus on all aspects of HIV research relating to the various African communities within the United Kingdom http://www.ahrf.org.uk/