Reducing new HIV infections in rural South Africa after COVID-19
Official title: The changing face of HIV in the era of COVID-19: Maximising HIV incidence reduction through dynamic targeting of current and future distributions of acquisition risk.
Funded at Stellenbosch University · NIH-11489927 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project finds who in rural KwaZulu-Natal is now most at risk for HIV so prevention efforts can be focused to stop new infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stellenbosch University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stellenbosch, SOUTH AFRICA) |
| Project start | March 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $32,360 |
| NIH project number | 3R01MH131480-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11489927 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living in or at risk of HIV in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa—particularly specific age, sex, or neighborhood groups identified as vulnerable—would be the focus.
✕Less likely to help
People who live outside the study area or whose HIV risk is already well-controlled or unrelated to the targeted factors are unlikely to directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would hear about work that maps who is getting safer or more at risk for HIV over time and across neighborhoods, age groups, and sexes in a large community cohort. The team uses long-running data from the Africa Health Research Institute in rural KwaZulu-Natal and looks at how changes like new HIV drugs and COVID-19 disruptions shift risk. They plan to predict emerging vulnerable groups and design combined prevention approaches aimed at those people and places. The goal is to make prevention resources reach the exact groups most likely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lower new HIV infections by concentrating prevention and care where they will have the biggest effect in poor rural communities.
How similar studies have gone: Large scale HIV treatment and prevention efforts have previously cut new infections substantially in South Africa, but using dynamic, targeted approaches to catch emerging vulnerable groups is a newer strategy.
Where this research is happening
-
Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch, South Africa Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tanser, Frank Courteney — Stellenbosch University
- Study coordinator: Tanser, Frank Courteney
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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.