Recently completed studies - Implementation Science(IS)
The Better Info study assessed the use of an innovative measurement and tracing strategy that would assist the Zambian national HIV program to better understand reasons for patient’s falling out of care and guide and identify best practices to improve patient care.
The study aimed to:- i. Obtain crucial measures of programme outcomes in Zambia that are representative at a regional (provincial) level.
- ii. Examine critical factors that influence programme success.
- iii. Systematically gather information about the processes needed and the challenges faced in collecting such information in the context of existing national programs. The results of this study were used to:
- better understand levels of true HIV care disengagement
- address the facilitators and barriers to HIV care
- identify which factors may be unique to specific clinical settings
- improve ART patient retention strategies
The TasP study was implemented to investigate whether the provision of a Universal Test & Treat (UTT) intervention within correctional settings was a feasible strategy to improve inmate health and tuberculosis control. The study was implemented in three correctional facilities—one in Zambia and two in South Africa.
We demonstrated that it is feasible to implement UTT in correctional settings in both Zambia and South Africa, and that such an intervention can achieve high early ART uptake and excellent viral suppression for HIV-positive inmates during incarceration. However, frequent facility transfer and release threatens to undermine access to timely ART and fragment care for inmates living with HIV. Detailed findings can be found in the following publications:
Universal test-and-treat in Zambian and South African correctional facilities: a multisite, prospective cohort study.
- 1. Herce ME, Hoffmann CJ, Fielding K, Topp SM, Hausler H, Chimoyi L, Smith HJ, Chetty-Makkan CM, Mukora R, Tlali M, Olivier AJ, Muyoyeta M, Reid SE, Charalambous S. The Lancet HIV. 2020 [in press].
It's Not Like Taking Chocolates": Factors Influencing the Feasibility and Sustainability of Universal Test and Treat in Correctional Health Systems in Zambia and South Africa.
- 2. Topp SM, Chetty-Makkan CM, Smith HJ, Chimoyi L, Hoffmann CJ, Fielding K, Reid SE, Olivier AJ, Hausler H, Herce ME, Charalambous S. Glob Health Sci Pract. 2019 Jun 27;7(2):189-202. doi: 10.9745/GHSP-D-19-00051. Print 2019 Jun. PMID: 31249019
