HIV testing for young children through traditional healers in Uganda
Improving HIV Testing Among Children Under Five in Rural Uganda
This project will test whether traditional healers in Southwestern Uganda can offer rapid oral HIV tests to children aged 18 months to 5 years and whether caregivers will accept testing compared with being referred to nearby health centers.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 400 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Months to 5 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of California, San Francisco Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Mbarara) |
| Trial ID | NCT07236905 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Ten traditional healers in the Mbarara region will be assigned to either provide counseling and rapid oral HIV testing to children under five or to give enhanced referrals to nearby health centers. The investigators will enroll 400 children (200 per arm) over nine months, collect caregiver surveys on HIV knowledge and stigma, and record acceptance of on-site testing versus uptake after referral. Field staff will obtain written informed consent, collect health histories, perform testing or facilitate referral according to the healer's arm, and make monthly follow-up calls for three months to track whether children completed testing. Exit interviews with healers and a sample of caregivers will explore barriers and facilitators to sustaining the approach.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Children aged 18 months to 5 years in the study region whose caregiver is present, able to give written consent, not known to be HIV-positive, and not tested for HIV in the past three months are eligible.
Not a fit: Children already known to be HIV-infected, those tested within the previous three months, or whose caregivers decline the intervention are unlikely to receive benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could increase early HIV testing and diagnosis among young children by using trusted community providers who are easier for families to access.
How similar studies have performed: Community-based and lay-provider HIV testing has increased uptake in other settings, but directly using traditional healers for pediatric HIV testing is relatively novel and not widely tested.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 months to 5 years old * Have a parent or caregiver present who can provide informed consent * Not previously tested for HIV in the past three months * Npt previously known to be HIV-infected. Exclusion Criteria: * unwilling or unable to participate in study procedures or provide written informed consent.
Where this trial is running
Mbarara
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology — Mbarara, Uganda (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Anneka Hooft, MD, MPH — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Anneka Hooft, MD, MPH
- Email: anneka.hooft@ucsf.edu
- Phone: 775-813-6254
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.