Better support for taking medicines for people with drug-resistant TB and HIV in South Africa
Official title: Adaptive evaluation of mHealth and conventional adherence support interventions to optimize outcomes with new treatment regimens for drug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV in South Africa
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11472086 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tries combining mobile phone reminders and counseling to help people in South Africa with drug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV stick to their new medicines.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | March 10, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $223,142 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AI167795-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11472086 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living in South Africa who have drug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV and are starting (or recently started) bedaquiline-containing TB treatment and dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy.
✕Less likely to help
People without drug-resistant TB and HIV, those not on the specified drug regimens, or individuals who cannot access a mobile phone or participating clinics may not benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would be offered phone-based reminders and psychosocial counseling together with the new oral TB drug bedaquiline and a dolutegravir-based HIV regimen. The project uses an adaptive approach, changing the type or intensity of support based on how well people are taking their medicines. Participation takes place through clinics in South Africa and includes regular check-ins, adherence monitoring, and health outcome tracking. The aim is to find the best mix of mobile and in-person support to help people finish treatment and prevent drug resistance.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could improve medicine-taking, reduce deaths and treatment failure, and lower the chance of new drug resistance for people with DR-TB and HIV.
How similar studies have gone: Phone reminders and counseling have shown mixed but sometimes positive effects on HIV or TB adherence separately, while combining tailored mHealth and psychosocial support for DR-TB/HIV on these new regimens is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: O'donnell, Max — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: O'donnell, Max
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Coronary disease and immune activation in people with HIV and tuberculosis coinfection
This research looks at how having HIV and latent tuberculosis together might raise the risk of heart disease, and what immune changes are involved.
-
Pulmonary rehabilitation to reduce breathing problems after tuberculosis
A program of guided exercise and breathing training to help adults who have recovered from TB breathe better and feel healthier.
-
Pulmonary rehab to reduce breathing troubles after TB
A program of pulmonary rehabilitation is being studied to help adults who have completed TB treatment avoid ongoing lung problems and improve daily breathing.
-
Air pollution and tuberculosis spread in Kampala, Uganda
This project looks at whether dirty air from PM2.5 particles makes tuberculosis more likely to spread within urban slum households in Kampala, Uganda.
-
Air pollution and TB spread in Ugandan urban slums
This project explores whether exposure to air pollution makes tuberculosis more likely to spread within households in a crowded Ugandan slum.
-
Air pollution and TB transmission in Kampala’s urban slums
This project looks at whether air pollution from PM2.5 makes tuberculosis spread more easily from infected people to their neighbors in urban slums of Kampala, Uganda.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.