Engaging community and governmental partners in improving health and mental health outcomes for children and adolescents impacted by HIV/AIDS in Uganda
Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: The African region remains the world's most affected region in the HIV epidemic. A related consequence of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), including in Uganda, is the high prevalence of children and adolescents who have lost one or both parents to this virus or who have been perinatally infected. Guided by the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability (PRISM) framework, this paper describes the strategies by which we have engaged community and government partners in research using three NIH-funded randomized clinical trials testing an evidence-based combination intervention aimed at improving health and mental health outcomes among children and adolescents impacted by HIV/AIDS in Uganda. We specifically lay out four strategies that have been used to facilitate stakeholder engagement, namely consultative meetings, stakeholder accountability meetings, training of key players (task-shifting), and policymaker engagement. We emphasize that community collaborations and partnerships are especially critical when implementing combination interventions that require a high level of communication and coordination among multiple implementation partners. We underline that building and sustaining long-term relationships and communication with the stakeholders can allow the researchers to successfully design rigorous studies that are responsive to local needs and can make a difference especially in low-resource settings. Finally, we highlight that the process of engagement and collaboration can be guided by conceptual frameworks.
Source: Pediatric Medicine
DOI: 10.21037/pm-20-86
Institution: Washington University in St. Louis
Language: English
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Awards: Suubi+Adherence-R2: Examining the longitudinal HIV treatment adherence among youth living with HIV (YLHIV) transitioning into young adulthood, Bridges to the Future: Economic Empowerment for AIDS Orphaned Children in Uganda, Suubi4HER Round 2: Examining the Long-term Impact of A Combination Intervention on HIV Prevention, Care and Mental Health for Adolescents and Young Women in Uganda, Training for Scientists Conducting Research to Reduce HIV/AIDS Health Disparities
OpenAlex ID: W3135710347