January 2021 | ICHAD & SMART Africa Monthly Monitor

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Winter greetings from the ICHAD and SMART Africa Teams!

Like the rest of the world, we hope to start 2021 with a fresh perspective - including our updated newsletter format! With the new year, we have had multiple new communications coming out so we want to make sure you did not miss our recently released 2020 Annual Report and Capacity Building Report – highlighting not only our accomplishments in 2020 but also the many achievements of our trainees and scholars. Also, in line with the Brown School’s strategic priority around global teaching and research, we would like to remind you of our Global Social Welfare Journal. This peer-reviewed journal accepts manuscripts in the fields of global social work, global public health, social development and social welfare policy and practice on a rolling basis. We look forward to hearing from you all in 2021!

The ICHAD and SMART Africa Teams

Save the Date! 5th Annual Conference on Child Behavioral Health in Sub-Saharan Africa, April 21-22, 2021

SMART Africa’s 5th Annual Conference on Child Behavioral Health in Sub-Saharan Africa: Building and Maintaining Sustainable Programs in Low-Resource Settings will be held virtually on April 21-22, 2021. The conference is the capstone to SMART Africa’s work as an African regional trans-disciplinary collaborative center aimed at reducing gaps in child and adolescent mental health services and research capacity in Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda. The conference will bring together researchers, policy makers, implementers, and community members to discuss the potential of sustaining mental health programs in Sub-Saharan Africa. Visit the SMART Africa website for more details.

Research Study Spotlight

Suubi4Her - Suubi (Hope) for Girls to Prevent HIV/AIDS Risk

The Suubi4Her study seeks to examine the impact and costs associated with an innovative combination intervention that aims to prevent HIV risk behaviors in communities heavily impacted by HIV/AIDS. By promoting financial stability and addressing mental health through family strengthening, Suubi4Her seeks to reduce the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) amongst adolescent females. In January, the team continued with 24-month follow-up interviews and to date, 1,136 (90.3%) out of the expected 1,258 participants across 47 schools have been interviewed. In addition, the team completed qualitative interviews with 58 child/caregiver dyads to assess their experiences with the interventions. Learn about the 12-months follow-up findings in the 2019-2020 Wave II Report at https://ichad.wustl.edu/ suubi4her.

Loss of Bishop John Baptist Kaggwa

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of longtime ICHAD and SMART Africa collaborator and supporter Bishop John Baptist Kaggwa, Bishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Masaka, Uganda. Since our founding, Bishop Kaggwa generously provided his guidance and assistance with our programs and research in the Greater Masaka Region. His wisdom and friendship will be greatly missed. Our sincere condolences to the Bishop’s family, the Diocese of Masaka, and the country at large for the loss of this great man, a social justice advocate, leader and beloved mentor. Plans are underway at ICHAD to establish a scholarship in Bishop Kaggwa’s name. More details to follow. Learn more about Bishop Kaggwa.

Congratulations to Vicent Ssentumbwe, ICHAD Uganda Data Manager, who was named the 2020 Employee of the Year! Thank you Vicent for your dedication to ICHAD’s mission and to your team members.

Newly Published Work

“Anzansi Family Program: A study protocol for a combination intervention addressing developmental and health outcomes for adolescent girls at risk of unaccompanied migration.” Pilot and Feasibility Studies

Ozge Sensoy Bahar, PhD; Fred M. Ssewamala, PhD; Abdallah Ibrahim, PhD; Alice Boateng, PhD; Proscovia Nabunya, PhD; Torsten B. Neilands, PhD; Emmanuel Asampong; Mary M. McKay, PhD

"Adaptation and implementation of the multiple-family group intervention in Ghana.” Psychiatry Online

Emmanuel Asampong, PhD; Abdallah Ibrahim, DPH; Ozge Sensoy Bahar, PhD; Kingsley Kumbelim; Peter B. Yaro, MPhil; Mary M. McKay, PhD; Fred M. Ssewamala, PhD

“Gender norms, beliefs and academic achievement of orphaned adolescent boys and girls in Uganda.” Journal of Genetic Psychology

Proscovia Nabunya, PhD; Jami Curley, PhD; Fred M. Ssewamala, PhD

“Impact of a family economic intervention (Bridges) on health functioning of adolescents orphaned by HIV/AIDS: A 5-year (2012-2017) cluster randomized controlled trial in Uganda.” American Journal of Public Health

Fred M. Ssewamala, PhD; Julia Shu-Huah Wang, PhD; Rachel Brathwaite, PhD; Sicong Sun; Larissa Jennings Mayo-Wilson, PhD; Torsten B. Neilands, PhD; Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, PhD

“Suubi+Adherence-Round 2: A study protocol to examine the longitudinal HIV treatment adherence among youth living with HIV transitioning into young adulthood in Southern Uganda.” BMC Public Health

Fred M. Ssewamala, PhD; Ozge Sensoy Bahar, PhD; Proscovia Nabunya, PhD; April D. Thames, PhD; Torsten B. Neilands, PhD; Christopher Damulira; Barbara Mukasa, MBChB; Rachel Brathwaite, PhD; Claude Mellins, PhD; John Santelli, PhD; Derek Brown, PhD; Shenyang Guo, PhD; Phionah Namatovu; Joshua Kiyingi; Flavia Namuwonge; Mary M. McKay, PhD

“Engaging community and governmental partners in improving health and mental health outcomes for children and adolescents impacted by HIV/AIDS in Uganda.” Forthcoming in Pediatric Medicine Journal

Wilberforce Tumwesige; Phionah Namatova; Ozge Sensoy Bahar, PhD; William Byansi; Mary M. McKay PhD; Fred M. Ssewamala, PhD

“Identifying challenges and recommendations for advancing global mental health implementation research: A key informant study of the National Institute of Mental Health Scale-Up Hubs.” Forthcoming the Asian Journal of Psychiatry

John A. Naslund, PhD; Jasmine Kalha; Juliana L. Restivo; Ishmael Amarreh, PhD;…Ozge Sensoy Bahar, PhD; Laura Shields-Zeeman, PhD; Fred M. Ssewamala, PhD…Soumitra Pathare, MD, PhD

Research Studies

ANZANSI Family

Program

Diabetes-Associated

Risk Factors

SMART Africa Studies

Kyaterekera Project

Say No to Stigma

Suubi+Adherence-R2

Suubi4Cancer

Suubi4Her

Subbi4STEM

Suubi4Stigma

Training Programs

CHILD Global Research

Fellowship

LEAD Global Training

Program

Researcher Resilience

Training

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Upcoming Events

Feb 16, 2021 | 12:30 CST

ICHAD/SMART Africa Speaker Series - Dr. Susan Witte

Reviewing the Effectiveness of Combination Microfinance & HIV Prevention Interventions for Women Engaged in Sex Work

More Info

Mar 23, 2021 | 12:30 CST

ICHAD/SMART Africa Speaker Series - Dr. Elvin Geng

Adaptive Strategies for Retention in HIV Care in Africa

More Info

Apr 13, 2021 | 12:30 CST

ICHAD/SMART Africa Speaker Series - Penina Acayo Laker

Additional details to follow!

Apr 21-22, 2021

SMART Africa 5th Annual Conference on Child Behavioral Health

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Other Events, Funding & Training Opportunities

Month Capacity Building Connection

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Call for Papers

Global Social Welfare

IJERPH Special Issue

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Quick Links

Our Team

ICHAD News

SMART Africa News

2020 Annual Report

Publications

Donate

Notables

Congratulations to Agatha Kufuko, (CHILD-GRF Fellow), who was awarded a 9 month research fellowship by Together for Girls, a global partnership working to prevent violence against children.

Donte Bernard (RRT Fellow) and his wife Alyssa welcomed baby Amaya Marie Bernard on October 15, 2020.

Congratulations to this beautiful family!

LEAD alumna, Simone Schriger, successfully defended the first of her two qualifying exams in November. Great work, Simone!

Congratulations to the ICHAD/ SMART Africa Center faculty, students, fellows and alumni whose work was represented at the Society for Social Work and Research 25th Annual Conference:

Fred Ssewamala

Proscovia Nabunya

Ozge Sensoy Bahar

Lindsay Stark

William Byansi

Rachel Braithwaite

Daji Dvalishvili

Tyriesa Howell

Melissa Villodas

Moses Okumu

Thembekile Shato

Latoya Small

A Word from an

ICHAD Study Participant

“I appreciate Professor Fred for setting up savings accounts and a matching program. Because of the program, I have been able to secure a gold future for my daughter. Sometimes I withdraw money to pay for my daughter’s school fees, which ICHAD could match immediately. I have even started a pig farm as an income generating activity as encouraged during the IGA sessions.”

-Guardian, Suubi4Her

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