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).

Global Programs Tanzania welcomes new hires

Mwantumu Masudi

Data Analyst Mwantumu Masudi will develop protocols, survey tools, and training materials while supporting research and surveillance implementation. She will be involved in data analysis and contribute to the writing and development of abstracts, reports, and manuscripts and also focus on triangulating HIV program data from sources such as CTC3, the monthly portal, and DHIS.Mwantumu holds an MSc in statistics and a BA in economics and statistics from the University of Dar Es Salaam.

Goodluck Mlungusye

Junior HIS Developer Goodluck Mlungusye will ensure Agile software development by participating in SCRUM ceremonies and managing the software development life cycle. He will design and implement interoperability between health information systems, develop APIs, and optimize data systems for performance. Additionally, he will oversee software testing, validation, and documentation, and prepare user materials such as operating instructions, diagrams, and clean code. Mlungusye holds a BS in computer science from the University of Dar Es Salaam.

Global Programs Tanzania helps faculty investigators get project back on track

Mariastella Njau

On the morning of September 21, 2023, a fire in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania destroyed the study laboratory of Dr. Teresa Kortz, UCSF associate professor of Clinical Pediatrics. The laboratory, which is a crucial part of her NIH research project, is operated in collaboration with Dr. Joel Manyahi, a clinical microbiologist at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the fire resulted in the complete loss of all laboratory equipment and consumables, bringing the project to a halt having enrolled only half of the target sample size.

Kortz immediately reached out to Global Programs Tanzania for assistance. The staff, particularly Project Support Officer Mariastella Njau, quickly mobilized to contact vendors, arrange rapid payments, and coordinate deliveries. With their support, the necessary equipment and consumables were replaced, allowing the study to resume subject enrollment in less than three months. What initially seemed like a major setback turned into a testament to the efficiency of Global Programs, highlighting their unwavering commitment to supporting UCSF research.