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Work Package Six

Work Package Six

  Approach : Community and Stakeholder engagement (WP6)

The need for community and stakeholder engagement cannot be overemphasized in this project. Introduction of a new method of testing viral load in a routine clinical care setting will be received with mixed emotions, therefore this work package is critical in the success of the project. WP6 will support the research platform to identify, recruit, and engage communities and stakeholders in the training and research related to studying the effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability, and psycho-social implications of PoC VL monitoring. It will also develop a clear and feasible plan for creating pathways to achieving policy change and uptake of PoC for VL monitoring in the intervention sites, and in the wider East African context. To achieve these objectives, the work will be done through different stakeholder engagement activities such as community dialogues, engagement meetings including stakeholders such as respective ministries of health, funders of HIV treatment programs—e.g., PEPFAR.

Engagements will be conducted across three strategies:

This first strategy focuses on community mapping and recruitment and will involve two steps: (1) Identifying the social, cultural, political, economic, and geographical contexts surrounding the health facilities; (2) supporting WP1 to ethically engaging, introducing, and recruiting research participants into the study.

The second focuses on Engagement and retention and will involve communities involved in research platform with the aim of ensuring retention of participants in the study. The third Findings Coordination, Organization, Dissemination, and Exploitation will coordinate the sharing of findings from the study at the health facility/community; district/county; national; and international levels.

Work Package Achievements

Training and Mentorships

5 PhDs 

6 MScs

146 Trained in Short Courses 

Short Courses Conducted 

Basic Epidemiology and Bio statistics

HIV Immunology Training 

Research Ethics and Good Clinical Practice (GCP)

Reciprocal Monitoring Scheme Training 

Infrastructural Upgrades

Nsambya Hospital lab upgrade and computer installation.

Masaka Regional Referral Hospital received a computer and printer for their Research Ethics Office (REC).

UVRI Clinic upgrade and Data management capacity 

 

Clinical Epidemiological Studies

PV Study in KCRI and Nsambya Hospital

Grants applied For

Knowledge Management in Science with Makerere University – to EDCTP