2021 End of Year PEPFAR Uganda Science Summit: Scientific and Programmatic Highlights on HIV&TB
This report is a record of the virtual summit organized by the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Uganda for its stakeholders; Uganda Ministry of Health (MoH) including its Public Health Fellowship Program (PHFP), implementing partners, and other Ugandan health researchers.
The summit held on December 2nd and 3rd, 2021, with over 250 participants, was aimed at sharing “the scientific and programmatic highlights of HIV and TB in Uganda.”
This report highlights discussions, summarizes key findings and discussions of the meeting.
Summit Objectives:
- To disseminate findings from recent and ongoing HIV- and TB-related research in Uganda (whether PEPFAR-funded or non-PEPFAR funded)
- To apprise PEPFAR UG staff and stakeholders on PEPFAR program successes, challenges and new priorities identified by implementing partners
- To inform the upcoming PEPFAR UG Country Operating Plan 2022 process (which will begin in Jan 2022) plus national policies and programs.Participants: US government PEPFAR team and implementing partners, Uganda Ministry of Health (including Public Health Fellowship Program and others), and other Ugandan health researchers.
SUMMIT AGENDA: PEPFAR Science Summit Agenda 2-3DEC21.
SUMMIT REPORT: Report PEPFAR SCIENCE SUMMIT DEC 21
Summit Objectives:
The Summit featured four sessions each day, led by one session chair from PEPFAR Uganda and other key stakeholders from Implementing Partners. Each session consisted of a set of multiple mixed five- and ten-minutes presentations from both scientific and programmatic tracks grouped by topic and given by scientists whose submitted presentations were accepted by the organizing committee. Each session ended with a Q&A/discussion led by the session chair.
List of Presentations by day and Session# Day 1 Thursday 2nd Dec 2021
Session #1: HIV Testing, Key Populations, children/adolescents, OVC andGBV- Chaired by Dr. Stella Alamo
- Implementation of the validated HIV testing eligibility screening tool to improve identification of children and adolescents (18 months – 14 years) living with HIV in Uganda | Rosemary Nasaba | Catholic Relief Services/FASTER Project*
- Caregiver-assisted Oral Fluid-based HIV Screening in Children: Estimation of Acceptability, Feasibility and Effectiveness Linked to Index Testing Services in Uganda | Francis Okello | Catholic Relief Services/FASTER Project*
- “You Are Not A Man”: Stigma and Risk of HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections among Trans Men in Uganda | Kasiita Vicent | Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI)*
- OVC Evaluation | Carroll Patterson | SoCha LLC
- OVC Partner Contribution Towards Attaining HIV Treatment Outcomes Amidst COVID- 19 Complexities in SW Uganda: TPO-Uganda Experience & Lessons for Epidemic Control | Caroline Kemigisha | TPO Uganda
- No Means No: Process Evaluation of a Sexual Violence Prevention Program | Sophie Nantume | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- Uganda
Session #2: Continuity of Care and Treatment, STI and Prevention Services- Chaired by Dr. Andrew Kambugu
- Causes of missed appointments and tracking outcomes in military facilities in Uganda | Micheal Ssemmanda | University Research Company*
- Return To Care After Interruption In Treatment In South-Central Uganda | Alice Kisakye | Rakai Health Sciences Program (RHSP)*
- Sexually Transmitted Infections among HIV negative Adolescent Girls and Young Women sex workers, aged 18-24 years in Mukono district, Uganda: A pragmatic demonstration | Grace Mirembe | Makerere University Walter Reed Project (MUWRP)*
- Factors associated with sexually transmitted infections among care seeking adults in the African Cohort study | Micheal Semwogerere | Makerere University Walter Reed Project (MUWRP)
- Non-Occupational Post-Exposure Prophylaxis, Post-Violence Care and Ongoing HIV Risk in Kampala Uganda: Missed Opportunities for HIV Prevention through Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis and Other Interventions | Lisa A Mills | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- Uganda
- Using PrEP to prevent HIV among Key Populations in Acholi | Dithan Kiragga | Uganda Regional Health Integration to Enhance Services-N Acholi (RHITES-N Acholi)
Session #3: MTCT, Medications and Pharmacovigilance- Chaired by Dr. Lisa A Mills
- Tube Defects, HIV, and Antiretroviral Therapy; Birth Defect Surveillance in Kampala, Uganda | Linda Barlow- Mosha | Makerere University John Hopkins University Research Collaboration (MUJHU)*
- PMTCT Impact Evaluation | Linda Nabitaka Kisaakye | Ministry of Health- AIDS Control Program*
- AGYWs and post-natal HIV diagnosis linked to high numbers of HIV positive infants in Fort Portal region, Uganda | Winnie Nambaziira | Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation- Uganda
- Comparative analysis of perinatal outcomes and birth defects amongst adolescent and older Ugandan mothers: evidence from a hospital-based surveillance database | Robert Serunjogi | Makerere University John Hopkins University Research Collaboration (MUJHU)*
- Technical Support For Active Pharmacovigilance At Six Sentinel Sites In Uganda | Eva Laker | Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) | End of Year PEPFAR Science Summit Dec 3rd 2021 presentation tracker V1.0
- Dolutegravir-Based ART Is Superior To Standard Of Care ART In Young Children <14kg Living With HIV | Elizabeth Kaudha | Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC)
- TLD Uptake for Women in AFRICOS | Betty Mwesigwa | Makerere University Walter Reed Project (MUWRP)*
Session #4: Surveys, Systems and Surveillance – Chaired by Dr. Steve Reynolds
- HIV And Viremia Prevalence in Non-Migrating Members of Migrant Households in Uganda | Brenda Nansereko | Rakai Health Sciences Program (RHSP)*
- Prevalence of Untreated HIV And HIV Incidence Among Occupational Groups In Uganda | Hadijja Nakawooya | Rakai Health Sciences Program (RHSP)*
- Assessing of Alignment of HIV Prevention to the Dynamics of HIV Transmission in Uganda | Nora Namuwenge | USAID Strategic Information Technical Support Activity (SITES)
- HIV Recent Infection Surveillance in Uganda: Implementation update | Emmy Muramuzi | Ministry of Health- AIDS Control Program (MOH)*
- Key Population Integrated Bio-behavioral surveys- FSW Kampala | Herbert Kiyingi | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- Uganda
Day 2 Friday 3rd Dec 2021
Session #1: TB, Cervical Cancer and Advanced HIV Disease- Chaired by Dr.Seyoum Dejene
- Evaluation of Factors Influencing TB Preventive Therapy (TPT) Completion amongst PLHIVs at Kidera HCIV in East Central Uganda | Paul Lwevola | Uganda Regional Health Integration to Enhance Services-EC (USAID)
- National TPT/TB Data and Service Quality Assessment (DSQA) | Simon Walusimbi | Monitoring and Evaluation Technical support Program (METS)
- Cervical Cancer Implementation among Women Living with HIV (WLHIV) in Uganda | Julius Kalamya | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- Uganda
- Scaling Up Cervical Cancer Screening In HIV Clinics In Mubende Region- Mildmay Uganda Experience | Adrawa Norbert | The AIDS Support Organization- Uganda
Session #2: Viral Load Suppression in Children/Adolescents, Men and at System Level – Chaired by Dr. Donna Kabatesi
- Factors associated with viral non-suppression among children & adolescents living with HIV enrolled to the Orphans and Vulnerable Children program in Uganda | Jane Nakaweesi | Mildmay- Uganda
- Using QI approaches to increase viral load suppression among children and adolescents in Acholi sub-Region | Kyakuwa Juuko | The AIDS Support Organization- Uganda
- The contribution of community services provision in improving viral load coverage among children and adolescents in HIV care | Herbert Wakuba | Uganda Regional Health Integration to Enhance Services-EC (USAID)
- Increasing Viral-Load Suppression Among Men and Children: Evidence from Eastern, Uganda | Harriet Komujuni | USAID Social and Behavior Change Activity
- Improving Viral load (VL) coverage, sample, and result tracking systems-Implications from Eastern Region | Okwalinga Paul | Regional Health Integration to Enhance Services-EC (USAID)
Session #3: Program Achievements and Challenges- Chaired by Dr. Norbert Mubiru
- Evaluation report findings of the Regional Mechanism to Support the Provision of HIV Comprehensive Services in West-West Nile Region | Brenda Kalebbo | Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI)
- Evaluation report findings of the Regional Mechanism to Support the Provision of HIV Comprehensive Services in Kampala Region | Rhoda Mwondha | Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI)
- TB/HIV Program Performance in Uganda Prisons_FY21 | Deus Lukoye | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- Uganda
- Scaling up multi-month dispensing (MMD) to improve retention among HIV positive clients during COVID-19 in Acholi sub region | Kyakuwa Juuko | The AIDS Support Organization- Uganda
Session #4: Systems- Chaired by Dr. Immaculate Ddumba
- Strengthening Commodities and Supplies Management Systems at HCIIs Positively Impacts Performance of Coverage of HIV testing at ANC1 and Linkage to ART in ANC: The East Central Uganda Experience | Felicity Natahaba | Regional Health Integration to Enhance Services-EC (USAID)
- Addressing Challenges of Low Budget Absorption of Donor Funded Projects at the Ministry of Health (MoH) | John Kauta | USAID Uganda Health Systems Strengthening (UHSS) Activity
- Integrating HIV/AIDS epidemic control interventions into FBOs through Health Window Approach | Apollo Kahurubuka | Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau
