Helping Ugandan youth stay on HIV treatment through Suubi support
Suubi+Adherence4Youth: Optimizing the Suubi Intervention for Adherence to HIV Treatment for Youth Living with HIV in Uganda
This project tries different parts of the Suubi program to find which ones help adolescents in Uganda stick with their HIV medicines.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11415444 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective, the team will offer parts of Suubi—financial literacy training, matched youth savings accounts with income activities, a manualized adherence and stigma program, and support from HIV-positive role models—to adolescents living with HIV in Uganda. They'll test different combinations of these components to see which mix best helps young people take their antiretroviral medicines, lower viral load, improve mental health, and stabilize family finances. Participants will be followed at local clinics over time so the team can track adherence, viral suppression, and wellbeing. The aim is to find a simpler, affordable package that works in real-world settings for youth.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adolescents and young people living with HIV in Uganda who are receiving or eligible for antiretroviral therapy are the intended participants.
Not a fit: Adults outside the adolescent age range, people living with HIV outside Uganda, or those not on ART are unlikely to directly benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could identify simpler, cost-effective program parts that help more adolescents stay on ART and reach viral suppression.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier randomized trials of the full Suubi program in Uganda showed strong improvements in viral suppression, ART adherence, mental health, and family finances, but the contribution of each component is still unknown.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ssewamala, Fred M — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Ssewamala, Fred M
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.