ZAIMARA program for Zambian adolescent girls and their mother figures
Zambian Informed Motivated Aware Responsible Adolescent Girls and Adults
This project will test whether a Zambian‑adapted ZAIMARA program for adolescent girls and young women and their mother figures increases HIV testing, reduces HIV/STI incidence, and improves PrEP uptake and sexual risk behavior.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 1200 (estimated) |
| Ages | 15 Years to 70 Years |
| Sex | Female |
| Sponsor | Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Lusaka, Lusaka Province) |
| Trial ID | NCT06503666 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This hybrid effectiveness‑implementation project will adapt the IMARA‑SA curriculum for the Zambian context (renamed ZAIMARA) using focus groups, community advisory board meetings, theater testing, and a formal pilot. In Phase 2 the team will recruit 600 adolescent girl–mother figure dyads across five Lusaka‑area sites to compare ZAIMARA with a health‑promotion control on outcomes including HIV and STI testing and incidence, PrEP uptake and persistence, and sexual behavior. Trained peer leaders will deliver the interventions and the study will also compare monthly mental‑health screening with referral versus monthly nutrition/exercise screening to examine effects on peer‑leader job retention. Implementation outcomes, facilitators, and barriers will be measured across sites to inform potential scale‑up.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal participants are unmarried adolescent girls and young women ages 15–19 who are not known to be living with HIV and who can enroll with a mother figure or other designated adult >24 years old who is in daily contact and speaks Nyanja, Bemba, or English.
Not a fit: People living with HIV, married adolescents, those outside the 15–19 age range, or those unable to attend local in‑person sessions or communicate in the study languages are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, ZAIMARA could increase HIV testing and PrEP uptake and lower HIV and STI incidence among adolescent girls and young women in Zambia.
How similar studies have performed: The IMARA curriculum was previously adapted for South Africa (IMARA‑SA), providing precedent for this family‑based prevention approach, though ZAIMARA's effects in Zambia remain untested.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) 1. 15-19 years-old females (sex assigned at birth) 2. Unmarried 3. Residing outside the five study catchment areas 4. Speak Nyanja, Bemba, or English or a combination (the primary regional languages) 5. Willing and able to provide consent (\> 18 years old) and/or assent (\< 18 years old) 6. Not known to be living with HIV (i.e., no positive test and not on ART) Mother Figures (MF) 1. selected to participate by the AGYW 2. if not the guardian/mother, agreed upon by the guardian/mother 3. \> 24 years-old 4. living with or in daily contact with the AGYW 5. speak Nyanja, Bemba, or English or a combination 6. Willing and able to provide consent Peer leaders (ZAIMARA \& Health Promotion) 1. live in the community where they will be working 2. have prior experience working with young people 3. have a minimum grade 12 education 4. be proficient in reading and writing English and/or Nyanja or Bemba 5. are 22-29 years old for AGYW sessions 6. are \>30 years-old for MF sessions Exclusion Criteria: AGYW AGYW who are enrolled in other SRH interventions at the time of recruitment (to prevent confounding) or are known to be living with HIV (the needs of AGYW living with HIV are unique and not well-addressed in IMARA-SA, e.g., learning to disclose) will be excluded. Importantly, AGYW who test positive for HIV at the study's baseline assessment will be able to complete the workshops and referred for treatment to avoid stigma.
Where this trial is running
Lusaka, Lusaka Province
- Chainda, Matero, Chelston, Chongwe and Kalingalinga — Lusaka, Lusaka Province, Zambia (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Carolyn Bolton
- Email: carolyn.bolton@cidrz.org
- Phone: +260211242 257
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.