Helping Nigerian youth at risk for or living with HIV using peer support and mobile health
Intensive Combination Approach to Rollback the HIV Epidemic in Nigerian Youth (iCARE) Plus Effectiveness / Implementation Hybrid Study
Combining peer support and mobile health tools aims to help Nigerian young men who have sex with men, transgender women, and youth living with HIV find care, stay on treatment, and reach viral suppression.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11382697 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be connected with trained peer navigators who can help you get HIV testing, link you to treatment, and support you to stick with medication using phone-based messages and apps. The program is tailored for youth, especially young men who have sex with men and transgender women, and is being offered through participating clinics and community sites. Researchers will track who gets tested, who starts treatment, and who reaches viral suppression, and they will study how well clinics can deliver the program. The goal is to see if these combined services can be scaled up within Nigeria’s health system.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Young people in Nigeria aged about 15–24, particularly young men who have sex with men, transgender women, and youth living with HIV who can access participating clinics and use mobile phones.
Not a fit: People who live outside the program areas in Nigeria, older adults, or those without access to a mobile phone or unwilling to work with peer navigators may not benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could increase HIV testing and treatment, improve adherence and viral suppression among Nigerian youth, and reduce new infections.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier pilot work from the iCARE partnership showed feasibility and efficacy of the peer-navigation and mHealth approach, but larger effectiveness and implementation results in Nigeria are still needed.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- Northwestern University — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Garofalo, Robert — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Garofalo, Robert
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 below.