The Recency Public Health Response (PHR) Guide, developed in Uganda, underwent a pilot phase in three districts—Kasanda, Jinja, and Kyotera—to assess its feasibility and effectiveness. The guide aims to pinpoint HIV acquisition hotspots and enhance targeted public health responses.
Teams comprising Ministry of Health officers, technical support members, Global Programs Uganda, implementing partners, and district health teams conducted the pilot. During this phase, the teams analyzed recency infection data, identified high-incidence areas, and engaged with community members to understand HIV transmission drivers, including commercial sex work and substance abuse. Identified gaps, such as insufficient condom distribution and lacking prevention interventions, particularly among key populations like palm tree plantation workers and barmaids, were addressed through community discussions, leading to the development of an action plan.
Overall, the pilot illustrated the PHR guide's effectiveness in hotspot identification and action planning, albeit requiring minor adjustments to some tools.