APRIL 2022 | ICHAD & SMART Africa Monthly Monitor

Greetings from the ICHAD and SMART Africa Teams!

This month, we have been gearing up for the summer training program season, welcoming our new CHILD-GRF, LEAD, and RRT trainees and holding orientation meetings on Zoom. We’ve also been preparing to admit and welcome our first cohort for the ACHIEVE program, as well as finalizing the plans for the upcoming Forum on Child and Adolescent Global Health Research and Capacity Building, an in-person gathering of trainees, stakeholders, and staff, in Uganda in June 20-30, 2022.

While we are welcoming new trainees, we will also say farewell to some of our US team members who are graduating from their respective degree programs and moving on to the next phase of their careers. See our tributes to these phenomenal colleagues below.

Last but not least, we continue implementing a growing number of new and ongoing research studies in Uganda. In this issue, we highlight the foundational work being accomplished by the M-Suubi team, focused on addressing stigma to improve treatment adherence and overall health outcomes of youth living with HIV in boarding schools in the greater Masaka region.

In partnership,

The ICHAD and SMART Africa Teams

Study Spotlight: M-Suubi

M-Suubi Uganda ICHAD Staff attending the GED-HIVSR curriculum review

meeting led by Dr. Massy Mutumba

M-Suubi is a five-year (2021-2026) multi-level integrated intervention study that seeks to reduce the impact of HIV stigma on HIV treatment outcomes among Adolescents Living with HIV (ALHIV) aged 10-17 years enrolled in boarding schools in the greater Masaka region in Southern Uganda. The study examines the impact and cost-effectiveness of an innovative multilevel intervention combining group-based HIV stigma reduction for Educators (GED-HIVSR), Multiple Family Groups (MFGs) for HIV stigma reduction (MFG-HIVSR), and a Family Economic Empowerment (FEE) intervention on HIV treatment adherence and engagement in care among school-going Adolescents Living with HIV (ALHIV) in Uganda. The study will recruit 840 student-caregiver dyads from 42 community health centers with HIV clinics in the greater Masaka region.

To date, the research team has recruited 124 adolescents and caregivers at six health clinics. The team is currently conducting baseline assessments with the recruited dyads. In addition to self-reports, adolescents’ biological specimens for viral load, adolescents’ pill counts, and pharmacy records are being collected. Participant recruitment is still ongoing.

In preparation for GED-HIVSR training sessions, the research team in Uganda participated in the curriculum review meeting led by Principal Investigator Dr. Massy Mutumba and Graduate Student Associate Jennifer Nattabi. The aim of the meeting was to review the content being adapted for the study’s GED-HIVSR intervention training aimed at helping educators (school administrators, school nurses, school matrons, and teachers) build their HIV knowledge, foster empathy, and build support for ALHIV and to address HIV-related stigma in schools. The next step will be to train the facilitators who will deliver this intervention.

Celebrating Graduating ICHAD Team Members

ICHAD is committed to the growth and ongoing success of emerging leaders in child behavioral health research in low-resource settings. This spring we are honoring the graduation, hard work, and future next steps of four ICHAD team members. We are honored to celebrate them as they graduate from their academic programs and look ahead to the next steps in their path to making a significant impact in health for children and families. We wholeheartedly thank William, Robert, Christopher, and Portia, for their many years of dedication to ICHAD. We wish them all the best in their next endeavors. Their paths might lead them in new directions, but they will always be a part of the ICHAD family!

Dr. William has worked his way up within ICHAD across ten years, starting as a Field Interviewer in Uganda and culminating his work as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at ICHAD US. During his time with ICHAD, Dr. William has been a Co-Principal Investigator on a study examining the effects of COVID-19 restrictions on Ugandan youth living with HIV, served as the co-editor of the journal Global Social Welfare, organized international conferences, and presented on and represented ICHAD at numerous national and global events. Some highlights of his time with ICHAD include the “excellent research training in both the design and implementation of rigorous studies, as well as having a strong team of colleagues for support and an extensive network of collaborators to work with on several projects. I am grateful for the support and training from the PI/directors, colleagues and caregivers and the children that participate in our projects.” We wish Dr. William and his family the best of luck with their new home in Boston.

Robert shares that “I really enjoyed my time at ICHAD. It's been a special opportunity to learn and grow as a researcher. I first joined ICHAD in 2014 before joining university and the experience working at the Center inspired me to strive higher during my four years at Makerere University. I am very grateful for the support I have received from the team both in Uganda and the US office. In a special way, I would like to thank Dr. Ssewamala for his confidence in me as well as for the valuable mentorship he has given me since I first met him 10 years ago. His support has been vital to my successful completion of my Master's Degree in Computer Science and subsequent admission into the PhD program.” We offer our heartfelt congratulations to Robert and best wishes in his PhD program.

Christopher started working with ICHAD 10 years ago as a Field Interviewer and has grown consistently to the roles of Senior Data Manager in the Uganda office and Graduate Student Associate in the St. Louis office. Christopher feels fortunate for having worked with ICHAD for this long. “The rigor of our work has helped me so much to advance my research skills, broaden my professional network, and pursue a graduate level degree in public health at the top university in the US,” he shares. “I will always be thankful to Dr. Ssewamala for creating opportunities for me and other colleagues at ICHAD such as presenting ICHAD’s innovative work at international conferences, writing research articles, capacity building, and rigorous research trainings.” Christopher was selected by faculty into the Delta Omega, Honorary Society in Public Health for his academic excellence, leadership, and commitment to public health. We appreciate Christopher’s passion and dedication to his work and wish him great success in his new role at Washington University School of Medicine.

According to Portia, “joining ICHAD was a great opportunity to get hands-on experience in conducting global research.” At ICHAD, her major role has been to coordinate the ANZANSI Family Program, and she has also worked in Capacity Building to support external communication and reporting needs. Portia attributes working at ICHAD to her enhanced research and professional growth, quantitative and qualitative research skills, writing and publication, administrative, and project coordination skills. “This journey would not have been possible without the unrelenting support from the entire ICHAD team. Firstly, I express my profound gratitude to Dr. Fred Ssewamala for the opportunity given me to tap from the rich pool of research experience and knowledge at ICHAD. Additionally, I am deeply grateful to Dr. Ozge Sensoy Bahar for the very helpful and comprehensive supervision, support, mentorship, and career guidance. I am also very grateful to Dr. Proscovia Nabunya, for her supervision, guidance, and one-on-one trainings. For all the external communications knowledge and experience I have gained, I am very thankful to Ms. Laura Peer. Finally, I am thankful for my committed, ever-supportive, and selfless colleagues at ICHAD.” We are thrilled to keep Portia on board at ICHAD as a summer practicum student!

RESEARCH STUDIES

ANZANSI Family Program

Bridges to the Future R2

Kyaterekera Project

mHealth Pilot

M-Suubi

Say No to Stigma

SMART Africa Studies

Suubi+Adherence-R2

Suubi4Cancer

Suubi4Her

Suubi4STEM

Suubi4Stigma

TRAINING PROGRAMS

ACHIEVE
CHILD Global Research Fellowship
LEAD Global Training Program
Researcher Resilience Training

UPCOMING EVENTS

June 20-30, 2022

Forum on Child and Adolescent Global Health Research and Capacity Building, Kampala and Masaka, Uganda. For more information, click here.

OTHER EVENTS, FUNDING & TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

Call for Applications

ACHIEVE Global Research Training Program

- One-year funded training program on site in a low-middle-income country (LMIC) for postdoctoral trainees and advanced doctoral students interested in global health, dissemination and implementation (D&I) and data science research.

- Open to candidates from the US and certain LMICs in Sub-Saharan Africa

- For full program and application information, click here.

Call for Applications

LEAD Global Training Program One-Year Postdoctoral Research Associate Position

- Postdocs or early career researchers with a commitment to global or domestic (US) health disparities research—especially mental health within resource constrained settings

- For full program and application information, click here.

CALL FOR PAPERS

Global Social Welfare

Global Social Welfare Special Issue: Financial Capability and Assets for Socioeconomic Development

QUICK LINKS

Our Team

ICHAD News

SMART Africa News

SMART Africa/ICHAD Conference Videos

2021 Annual Report

2021 Capacity Building

Capacity Buildng Connection

Publications

Donate

NOTABLES

Congratulations to the following trainees for their recent accomplishments!

NHIAL TUTLAM (LEAD Postdoc) was awarded funding by Grand Challenge Canada for his project, Investigating the Youth Readiness Intervention Integrated within Youth Economic Empowerment (YRI+YEE) to Improve Trauma-Associated Psychological Distress among South Sudanese Youth. The project is in partnership with Nile Hope, a South Sudanese indigeneous humaitarian organization.

APOLLO KIVUMBI (CHILD-GRF 2020)

has been admitted to the PhD Program in the Epidemiology Department at Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health. He will be starting the program in Philadelphia, USA, in fall 2022.

LINDSEY FILIATREAU (LEAD Postdoc) presented "Differences in recovery attempts and facilitators of substance misuse abstinence among individuals with and without prior involvement with the justice system" at the Academic Consortium on Criminal Justice Health. Dr. Filiatreau also published the manuscript Prevalence of stressful life events and associations with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder among people entering care for HIV in Cameroon in Journal of Effective Disorders.

Faculty Affiliate Spotlight

ICHAD faculty affiliate and collaborator Assistant Professor Penina Acayo Laker received the 19th Annual Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award from the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University in St. Louis. The award recognizes Professor Laker for her compassion and dedication as a professor and the lasting impact her work using her design skills and research has had on the greater St. Louis community. Professor Laker also co-edited a new book, The Black Experience in Design: Identity, Expression & Reflection. The book illustrates how "Black designers from across the diaspora have been integral to the development of our professions and practices, contributing to the design of typography and posters, chairs and wearables, modes of transport and methods of care, financial services and speculative futures."

ICHAD in the News

Dr. Fred Ssewamala, ICHAD founding director, was featured by NIH Fogarty International Center's newsletter, Global Health Matters, in an article on the vital role of African diaspora scientists on the significant growth of research productivity among scientists on the African continent.

ICHAD was featured in Washington University's news magazine, The Source, for receiving the $5 million NIH Fogarty International Center Launching Future Leaders in Global Health (LAUNCH) research training grant award.

Recent Publications

Brathwaite, R., Ssewamala, F. M., Mutumba, M., Neilands, T. B., Byansi, W., Namuwonge, F., Damulira, C., Nabunya, P, Nakigozi, G., Makumbi, F., Mellins, C. A., McKay, M. M. and Suubi+Adherence Field Team. The long-term (5-year) impact of a family economic empowerment intervention on adolescents living with HIV in Uganda: analysis of longitudinal data from a cluster randomized controlled trial from the Suubi+Adherence study (2012-2018). AIDS and Behavior.

Filiatreau, L. M., Ebasone, P. V., Dzudie, A., Ajeh, R., Pence, B. W., Wainberg, M., Nash, D., Yotebieng, M., Anastos, K., Pefura-Yone, E., Nsame, D., & Parcesepe, A. M. (2022). Prevalence of stressful life events and associations with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder among people entering care for HIV in Cameroon. Journal of affective disorders.

Jennings Mayo-Wilson, L., Kang, B., Mathai, M., Mak'anyengo, M. O., Ssewamala, F. M. Mobile phone access, willingness, and usage for HIV-related services among young adults living in informal urban settlements in Kenya: A cross-sectional analysis. International Journal of Medical Informatics.

Nabunya P, Ssewamala FM, Sensoy Bahar O, Michalopoulos LTM, Mugisha J, Neilands T, Trani J-F, McKay M. Suubi4Stigma Study Protocol: A Pilot Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial to Address HIV-Associated Stigma Among Adolescents Living with HIV in Uganda. Pilot and Feasibility Studies.