Improving HIV medicine support for young people in Uganda
Suubi+Adherence4Youth: Optimizing the Suubi Intervention for Adherence to HIV Treatment for Youth Living with HIV in Uganda
This project combines money skills, matched savings accounts, adherence counseling, and HIV role models to help adolescents in Uganda take their HIV medicines regularly and reach viral suppression.
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-11413255 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be invited to a program that teaches financial skills, offers incentivized matched youth savings accounts with income-generating activities, provides a manualized counseling program to support ART adherence and reduce stigma, and connects you with HIV treatment-experienced role models. The study compares different combinations of these components to find which parts help young people stick to treatment and achieve undetectable viral loads. Participation includes attending sessions at local clinics, meeting with counselors and role models, and coming for periodic health checks and viral load tests over the study period. The team has run prior Suubi trials that improved adherence and well-being, and this project aims to simplify and optimize the most helpful elements.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adolescents living with HIV in Uganda who are on or eligible for ART, especially those facing economic hardship or struggling with adherence.
Not a fit: This program is not targeted to adults, people outside Uganda, or adolescents who are already consistently adherent with sustained viral suppression.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could help more adolescents stay on ART, achieve viral suppression, improve mental health, and strengthen family financial stability.
How similar studies have performed: Previous randomized trials of the Suubi program in Uganda have improved ART adherence, viral suppression, mental health, and family financial stability, so this builds on proven approaches.
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.