September 2020 Newsletter
Happy Fall to those of us in the northern hemisphere! We are grateful that COVID-19 numbers have remained relatively low in Sub-Saharan Africa, which has allowed our study teams in Uganda, Ghana and Kenya to resume their research field activities, while keeping proper safety protocols such as wearing masks, hand washing and social distancing in place. The research activities included a meeting to (re)launch the Suubi+Adherence-R2 continuation study in Uganda, which brought together project stakeholders to inform them of the extension of the study for another five years, explain the purpose of the study, and how they will be involved. More details about this meeting and a new publication highlighting results from the original Suubi+Adherence, “The Impact of a Family-Based Economic Intervention on the Mental Health of HIV-Infected Adolescents in Uganda” can be found below.
We are also pleased to announce that our team has received a new supplement to our D43 CHILD-GRF training grant, to support our partner Makerere University to develop sustainable policies to address sexual misconduct and harassment, and provide a safe work environment at the institution. Also related to Makerere University, ICHAD Director Fred Ssewamala was recently appointed the McDonnell International Scholars Academy Ambassador to Makerere University. This new formal relationship between Washington University and Makerere University will allow for even further research and training collaborations between our institutions.
In terms of capacity building, this month we launched our 2020-2021 ICHAD/SMART Africa Speaker Series, with an engaging talk by Brown School alum and former classmate of Dr. Ssewamala, Charita L. Castro, PhD, MSW ’99. Dr. Castro discussed her work around child labor, and spoke to the important role social workers can play in policy making and advocating for change. Also, please note, the application cycles for our three NIH-funded training programs will launch in early October with applications due in January. Please spread the word!
You can find our September 2020 newsletter here.