ZAIMARA — HIV prevention and support for Zambian adolescent girls and young women
Official title: ZAIMARA: Zambian Informed Motivated Aware and Responsible Adolescents and Adults
Funded at Centre for Infectious Disease Research · NIH-11174585 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program compares a tailored HIV prevention and mental-health support package to general health education to help adolescent girls and young women in Zambia get tested, reduce new infections, and access PrEP.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Centre for Infectious Disease Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lusaka, Zambia) |
| Project start | September 12, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $898,514 |
| NIH project number | 5UG1HD113250-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11174585 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adolescent girls and young women in Zambia who are sexually active or otherwise at risk for HIV and who can attend the intervention sessions and follow-up visits are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Young men, people living outside Zambia, or individuals who already know they are HIV-positive and are on stable treatment may not benefit from this prevention-focused program.
What this research studies
You would join group sessions delivered by trained peer leaders who will teach HIV prevention, support HIV testing, and share information about PrEP and STI prevention. The program (ZAIMARA) was adapted from a proven South African approach and will be tested against a general health promotion program in two randomized groups. Researchers will collect HIV and STI test results and ask about sexual behavior and PrEP use at enrollment and about six months later. The study also screens and refers peer leaders for mental-health needs to help keep the program sustainable in local clinics.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, ZAIMARA could increase HIV testing and PrEP uptake and lower new STIs/HIV while improving mental-health support for peer leaders among adolescent girls and young women in Zambia.
How similar studies have gone: Related IMARA programs adapted for South Africa showed promising effects on STI rates, sexual risk behaviors, PrEP uptake, and mental health, though this is the first full adaptation and implementation trial for Zambia.
Where this research is happening
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Centre for Infectious Disease Research
Lusaka, Zambia Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bolton Moore, Carolyn — Centre for Infectious Disease Research
- Study coordinator: Bolton Moore, Carolyn
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.