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

Project summary: In 2022, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) had over 11 million Women living with HIV (WLWH), representing more than half (53%) of the region's total of 20.8 million people living with HIV. WLWH are disproportionately affected by health challenges that disrupt care across the lifespan, such as intimate partner violence (IPV), and alcohol

use. In addition, a significant proportion of the aging population of WLWH face severe symptoms during perimenopause. These challenges lead to poor antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation, retention in care, viral suppression, and increased vertical HIV transmission. The intersection of IPV, alcohol use, and menopause in

WLWH is complex, necessitating further research on the design and implementation of strategies to reduce their impact on HIV care outcomes. There is also an urgent need for research to address critical gaps in our understanding of the impacts of IPV, alcohol use, and menopausal transition on the health of WLWH. There is,

therefore, a need to train the next generation of researchers to address these challenges and to design, implement, and scale up tailored and context-specific interventions for the growing population of WLWH in Uganda and similar resource-limited settings. Over the past nine years, we have developed a comprehensive research training program at Makerere

University titled "Building Implementation Science Capacity at Makerere University to strengthen the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Uganda (MakImS, 2D43TW010037). This research-training program aims to strengthen leadership and expertise in implementation science and address evolving challenges in HIV care and

prevention in Uganda. The MakImS program has provided a suitable interdisciplinary implementation science- training environment. Building on the infrastructure established by the MakImS research training program at Makerere University, we propose a one-year supplement that will spur research interest and careers focused on

HIV and women's health, which has not been a focus of our previous and ongoing work. Specifically, we aim to 1) broaden the scope of the MakImS training program to include HIV and women’s health across the lifespan, 2) provide research training and mentorship to trainees to address challenges of WLWH in Uganda, and 3) develop

D43 training program application focused on HIV and women’s health across the lifespan in Uganda. This supplement will leverage the existing resources of the MakImS program, including Makerere University collaborating HIV programs, and partner universities in the USA.