Global Programs Research: IAS 2024

GP Tanzania at IAS 2024

George and Christen

Mtoro Mtoro, Christen Said

Global Programs Tanzania presented seven posters at IAS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference, showcasing findings from a survey conducted in collaboration with the Zanzibar Integrated HIV, Hepatitis, TB, and Leprosy Programme (ZIHHTLP) and the Zanzibar government. Presenting the posters were Data Analyst Mtoro Mtoro (above, left), Executive Director of the Zanzibar AIDS Commission Dr. Ahmed Khatib (above, middle), and In-Country Director Christen Said (above, right). Dr. George Rutherford (IGHS) also presented a poster on behalf of the team. A special thanks to colleagues from ZIHHTLP and the Zanzibar AIDS Commission for their invaluable contributions.

Posters presented: 

• Estimating HIV incidence among key populations in Unguja, Zanzibar, 2023

• Experiences and reporting of physical and sexual violence among key populations in Unguja, Zanzibar, 2023

• HIV and hepatitis C co-infection among people who inject drugs in Unguja, Zanzibar, 2023

• Novel questions to broaden the understanding of injection risk behaviors among people who inject drugs in Unguja, Zanzibar, 2023

• Progress towards UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets and challenges with HIV diagnosis among men who have sex with men in Unguja, Zanzibar, 2023

• Progress towards UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets and viral suppression challenges among people who inject drugs in Unguja, Zanzibar, 2023

• Uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis among key populations in Unguja, Zanzibar, 2023

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Tifu Agaba at IAS 2024

GP Uganda group at IAS 2024

Global Programs Uganda presented, "Continuous Quality Improvement to Enhance the Quality of Recent HIV-1 Infection Surveillance: Insights and Lessons from Uganda" at IAS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference.

Since the 2019 launch of the Uganda HIV Recency Surveillance project (PI: Dr. George Rutherford, IGHS), Global Programs Uganda has strengthened data quality across all 15 regions of the country through continuous quality improvement (CQI) efforts. Context-specific interventions designed by health facility staff have addressed performance gaps and improved adherence to standards, even within an overburdened public health system. These CQI activities have ensured the availability of reliable data for HIV Recency surveillance stakeholders.

In addition, a manuscript has been submitted to the East African Journal of Applied Health Monitoring and Evaluation. Working on this project were Tifu Agaba and Ronald Kiranda (Global Programs Uganda); Christine Katusiime (AIDS Control Program, Ministry of Health Uganda); Willy Bikokye (USAID Uganda); Florence Namimbi (Infectious Diseases Institute, Uganda); and Laura Buback, Eva Muhanguzi, Rikita Merai, and Rachel King (UCSF IGHS).

Ugandan Colleagues Visit IGHS

Top row: Eva Muhanguzi, Andrew Ameny, and Edward Bichetero. Bottom row: Rikita Merai, Krysia Lindan, Lydia Itaagi, Evelyn Akello, and Laura Buback. (Photo courtesy of IGHS)

In July, IGHS hosted members of the Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Support (METS) Program from Uganda. METS is a five-year CDC-supported partnership between Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), UCSF, and the Health Information Systems Program Uganda. This initiative aims to strengthen Uganda’s capacity for HIV and tuberculosis programming through health systems strengthening, monitoring and evaluation, strategic information, disease surveillance, and health informatics systems. Global Programs Uganda staff work with the METS team to support project implementation.

UCSF Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Alison Comfort

Left to right are Alison Comfort (UCSF PI), Hadija Nalubwama (Research Manager Makerere University), Umar Senoga (Research Assistant), Sylivia Katusabe (Research Assistant), and Sherinah Nakalembe (Research Assistant)

Dr. Alison Comfort's work with Global Programs in Kampala, Uganda, has laid a strong foundation for advancing maternal health research through successful collaboration and streamlined coordination with local counterparts, including Makerere University. This collaboration has been pivotal in implementing groundbreaking studies such as the START ANC project, which aims to improve maternal and fetal health outcomes by encouraging earlier antenatal care (ANC) initiation.

In her current research, Comfort (along with Drs. Josaphat Byamugisha, Alison El Ayadi, and Cynthia Harper) is exploring how social networks—comprised of partners, family, and community members—can influence when pregnant women seek ANC. The START ANC study, involving 250 women at Kawempe National Referral Hospital, investigates how these networks can be leveraged to promote earlier ANC visits, with a focus on how HIV status may affect this dynamic. 

The strong support and coordination provided by the Global Programs Uganda team has enabled her to focus on research that has the potential to significantly impact maternal health outcomes in Uganda, further strengthening the relationship between her team and their local partners.

Comfort says, “It has been a pleasure to work with Peruth Kyomugisha on this project, and I look forward to our continued collaboration.”