Building Implementation Science Capacity at Makerere University to Strengthen the Response to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Uganda

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Project Summary While Uganda is close to achieving the 90-90-90 targets, more than 27% of Ugandans with HIV remain with a detectable viral load and the potential to substantially contribute to new infections. Uganda faces challenges with HIV care and prevention, in particular for men, youth and geographically mobile subpopulations that continue to fall short of viral suppression targets, putting them at risk for HIV complications, mortality, and onward HIV transmission. With the aging HIV population there is increasing burden of comorbidities such as non- communicable diseases (NCDs), and integration of NCD-HIV care is paramount to improve HIV outcomes. Implementation science (ImS) research capacity is needed to optimize the public health impact of efficacious interventions such as test-and-treat and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for eligible populations. Building on existing partnerships between Makerere University (MU) and its affiliated HIV programs and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), we have established a pioneer ImS Research Training Program at MU focused on enhancing the cascade of HIV care. We have built a strong foundation for ImS in Uganda through training, integrating ImS as a field of study at MU and influencing HIV practices. We propose to continue the Program and focus the next period on creation of sustained growth of ImS research environment at MU and the application of ImS to bear on HIV research and service delivery on a larger scale in Uganda. The specific objectives of our research training program renewal application are to: 1) strengthen the scientific leadership and expertise needed for implementation science research by having increased focus on PHD training at MU; 2) expand the breadth of training in ImS implementation science research at MU; 3) optimize utilization of resources for training by leveraging the additional available resources in Uganda (including projects funded by the NIH, European and Developing Country Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP), President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and others; 4) strengthen trainee contributions to evidence-based decision-making related to HIV prevention, care and treatment services through regular interactions with policy makers and HIV program implementers; and 5) support the integration of ImS trainees into Ugandan academic, research, policy and HIV implementing institutions to: a) pursue independent scientific careers in ImS and b) strengthen use of ImS in HIV service delivery. The proposed ImS training program will build on our relationships with UCSF faculty to provide a longitudinal mentorship program based on monthly works-in-progress meetings (held virtually via online platforms). During our five-year program, we anticipate training Ugandan trainees as follows: 4 candidates in PhD and 10 candidates in master’s degree programs at MU, 40 candidates in a Post Graduate Diploma in Implementation science research and quality Improvement and 6 candidates in the UCSF Online Certificate in ImS program. 1|Page