Study title: Bridging the Gap in HIV testing and care for Children in Zimbabwe

Lead researcher(s): Chido Dziva Chikwari

Funding: UK Medical Research Council, UKAID, Orasure

Partners: Organization for Public Health Interventions and Development, Population Services International Zimbabwe, Million Memory Project Zimbabwe, Duke Global Health Institute

Background

The Bridging the Gap in HIV testing and care for Children in Zimbabwe (B-GAP project) aims to investigate the effectiveness of targeted HIV testing for children aged 2–18 years and community health worker deliver support visits to children diagnosed with HIV and their caregivers.

Study aim(s)

To investigate a multi-component intervention aimed at improving uptake of HIV testing and engagement with HIV care among children aged 2 – 18 years.

Study design

As part of the B-GAP study, we also carried out sub-studies to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of oral HIV test kits for children and also to assess whether caregivers can use HIV self-test kits to test their own children for HIV. This data has been used by WHO and they have now prequalified oral HIV test kits for use in children.

Another sub-study took place in 2018, when Chris Grundy and MSc student Edom Wessenyeleh did a mixed-methods pilot study to assess the feasibility and acceptability of strategies that would help allow people to record the location of their home in urban and rural areas using their own smartphones, a borrowed smartphone or a borrowed GPS device. This information is useful in many studies, for example to assess how far people have to travel to reach health services.

Study dates