NATURE adopts the TRUST code!!
The TRUST project, which came up with a Research code of ethics and involved PHDA among other international partners, continues to reverberate in the international journals.
Nature, an international journal publishing peer-reviewed research on science and technology, has introduced a new approach to improving inclusion and ethics in its journals (including Nature and all Nature Portfolio journals).
Nature’s latest steps to improve inclusion and ethics are guided by the Global Code of Conduct for Research in Resource-Poor Settings, developed by TRUST, a European Union-funded project on research ethics in which PHDA was involved.
PHDA takes pride in contributing to research and improving inclusion and ethics in journals, science and technology.
To read more about this story click here.
Optimizing Effective Coverage of HIV/STI Prevention and Care Programs: A Program Science Approach
The Banbury Center hosted the “Optimizing Effective Coverage of HIV/STI Prevention and Care Programs: A Program Science Approach” meeting from 3rd to 5th May 2022.
This was a hybrid (physical and virtual) meeting that brought together global experts in HIV/STI prevention and program science to identify, examine, and gaps in HIV/STI care, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
Click here to read more about the meeting.
The basics of program science
Program Science is the systematic application of theoretical & empirical scientific knowledge to improve the design, implementation, & evaluation of public health programs.
The University of Manitoba, through the Institute of Global and Public Health (IGPH), has been working on developing a Program Science infographic. The purpose of the infographic is to provide current academic, program, government and technical partners (and any new partners)to the concepts of Program Science in a quick and easily digestible format.
Click here to download the infographic.
'Getting to the heart of stigma' stakeholder engagement meeting
The International AIDS Society (IAS), National Empowerment Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya (NEPHAK) and Partners for Health and Development in Africa (PHDA) organized the Getting to the Heart of Stigma Stakeholder Engagement meeting on 12th April 2022 at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Nairobi. The purpose of the meeting was to disseminate the findings of national studies exploring stigma and discrimination against people living and affected by HIV in Kenya; further, it was to seek commitment from policy makers and programme designers to address stigma and discrimination in a comprehensive, inclusive and integrated way.
An evaluation of the UNAIDS Joint Programmes' work with and for Key Populations
There is a need to prioritise and focus on strategising the work for and with key populations globally, in order to accelerate action for key populations programming based on where infections are happening and aligning resources and capacity. This is one of the recommendations from an independent evaluation of the UNAIDS Joint Programme‘s work with and for key populations at the country level that was recently completed. The purpose of the evaluation was to assess the relevance, coherence, effectiveness, and sustainability of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (Joint Programme) support for key populations at the country level. UNAIDS currently defines “key populations” as female and male sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender persons, people who inject drugs and prisoners.
The Uganda AIDS Commission visits the Medically Assisted Therapy programme in Kenya
The Kenya Ministry of Health, through the National AIDS and STI Control Council (NACC) and the National AIDS and STI Control Program (NASCOP), with support from the South to South Learning Network (SSLN), hosted a delegation of program leaders and implementers led by Uganda AIDS Commision (UAC) and Uganda Ministry of Health for four days in Nairobi. The aim of the visit was for the team to learn from the Medically Assisted Therapy (MAT) programme in Kenya. The learning visit took place from 15th to 19th March 2022.
3rd South To South Learning Network Regional Champions meeting in Nairobi, Kenya
The third South to South Learning Network (SSLN) regional champions meeting was held in Nairobi, Kenya from 21th to 25th February 2022. The meeting was attended by over 70 HIV prevention leaders across 10 African countries.
For the past two years, the South to South Learning Network has helped countries identify and address gaps within their KP and Condom programs. This was done by hosting various activities that encouraged country to country learning across the continent. The 3rd Country Champions meeting held in Nairobi was the first ever physical meeting for the different champions, and it gave them an opportunity to interact face to face with each other.

Congratulations, Dr Lyle!!
Dr. Lyle McKinnon, one of the UoM Researchers associated with PHDA, has been awarded the Bhagirath Singh Early Career Award in Infection and Immunity by the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity (II) mandate. This prize was established in 2010 to honor the outstanding work of Dr. Bhagirath Singh, inaugural Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity and is awarded annually to the highest ranked early career investigator in the field of infection and immunity. Dr. Lyle’s grant ranked #1 in the virology panel.
Program interventions to address the COVID-19 crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in not only a health crisis, but has also spurred an economic and human crisis, globally. People infected with the virus face not just the disease but are also burdened with the cost of care, loss of income and employment. In addition, both those caring for patients and the infected face stigma and discrimination from their neighbours and others in the general community.
The Institute of Global Public Health (IGPH), University of Manitoba in collaboration with India Health Action Trust (IHAT) and Partners for Health and Development in Africa (PHDA), examined the impact of COVID-19 and designed program responses for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health interventions in India and HIV prevention, care, treatment and support interventions in Kenya.
The document aims to assist the respective States/Counties to learn from this experience. The document summarises the key interventions that were adapted and implemented in order to respond to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in Uttar Pradesh and Kenya.
Key population size estimates in Kenya
Mapping and size estimation exercises are important for scaling up key populations programmes. While population size estimates provide a denominator to programme for, mapping provides information on where key populations are and can be reached. These two pieces of information (where key populations are and how many are there) are important to plan and monitor the scale of key population programmes.
Kenya did its first key population mapping and estimation in 2012 and repeated the exercise in 2018-2020 to update the information. Kenya used various methods to map and estimate its key populations.
With this background, NASCOP partnered with IAVI to develop a film to document the key population size estimation process in Kenya and share this best practice with other African countries.
The target audience for this film is National Governments of other African countries who lead these processes in the countries, donors who fund these exercises and implementers and key populations groups who participate and guide these exercises.
Program interventions to address the COVID-19 crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in not only a health crisis, but has also spurred an economic and human crisis, globally. People infected with the virus face not just the disease but are also burdened with the cost of care, loss of income and employment. In addition, both those caring for patients and the infected face stigma and discrimination from their neighbours and others in the general community.
The Institute of Global Public Health (IGPH), University of Manitoba in collaboration with India Health Action Trust (IHAT) and Partners for Health and Development in Africa (PHDA), examined the impact of COVID-19 and designed program responses for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health interventions in India and HIV prevention, care, treatment and support interventions in Kenya.
The document aims to assist the respective States/Counties to learn from this experience. The document summarises the key interventions that were adapted and implemented in order to respond to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in Uttar Pradesh and Kenya.
PHDA presents at CAHR 2021
PHDA in partnership with University of Manitoba and MAAYGO presented at the Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR) in May 2021. The presentation introduced the key concepts of program science and shared a practical example of a HIV Self Testing project in Kenya. Program Science is the systematic application of theoretical and empirical scientific knowledge to improve the design, implementation and evaluation of public health programs. This presentation provided conceptual clarity of the approach and showed how this approach is applied in a real life intervention in Kenya. The presentation received very positive feedback from the participants.
Presenters : Dr. Marissa Becker (UoM), Parinita Bhattacharjee (PHDA/ UoM), Bernadette Combo (UoM),
Memory Melon (PHDA), Manas Migot (MAAYGO) and Dr. Rob Lorway (UoM)
Facilitators: Dr. Leigh Mclarty and Dr. Lisa Lazarus