About This Project
HIV Testing is the entry point in HIV prevention and key in combating the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, but men are found to lag behind when it comes to HIV testing. Most studies have focused on key populations men or partners to women attending antenatal clinics, but information about men outside this group is necessary if we hope to realize SDGs 3, target 3.1 and other linked goals and targets needed to support the move towards HIV pandemic elimination by 2030.
Ask the Scientists
Join The DiscussionWhat is the context of this research?
Although progressive improvements have been made in the coverage and prevention of HIV/AIDS in Cameroon, the national coverage remained persistently low in men. Despite all the strategies put in place, men are found to have poorer engagement in HIV Testing and this has a negative impact on the global commitment to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. This poor respond by men in HIV testing has result in poorer clinical outcomes and increased mortality due to late engagement. In some extreme cases, some men have been reported to refuse their women from testing for fear of thinking it will reflect their own HIV status. Refusal to do an HIV test or preventing someone from testing contributes to increase the proportion of people who do not know their HIV status.
What is the significance of this project?
The spread of misinformation and disinformation about infectious diseases, including HIV has made prevention, control and elimination a great challenge, especially when it comes to SDG3 target 3.1 aim at eradicating HIV by 2030. Most studies investigating determinants of HIV testing concentrated on the testing behaviours of women or key population men, but the importance of all men in the global HIV response is urgent. Understanding factors associated with receiving an HIV test among men is an important aspect in the HIV prevention cascade as it will also help to maximize the health outcomes for children, women, and adolescence. We must move beyond seeing men simply as “facilitating factors”, but as ‘constituent parts’ of the HIV prevention policy.
What are the goals of the project?
The main goal of this project is to identify additional intervention strategies that can help to improve HIV testing uptake by adult men. Our intervention package comprise of community mobilization, health education and HIV testing.
With your help, we will be able to conduct health education campaign using the Health Belief Model and adult learning theory to assess correct knowledge men have on HIV in general, the importance of early testing and treatment benefits such as viral load suppression.
We will also identify key factors that influence HIV testing uptake in adult men and to determine the impact of our face to face community health education targeting misinformation and disinformation about HIV, on HIV testing uptake in these men.
Budget
This project is not having any external funds from any source at the moment. Therefore, our funding target is $3,800 plus $530 experiment platform charges, making a total of $4330. This will enable us conduct this community project which will not only impact the lives of men but their families as well. The funds will be used to purchase intervention materials, such as syringes, cotton, disinfectants, testing kids for HIV line one and two, as well as for sponsoring health education campaign in targeted communities. We will also facilitate transportation, motivate assistants and provide little refreshments during health education sessions in community groups. Experiment platform fee is 8% + 3-5% =13 % plus $30 as indicated on researchers guide.
Our budget focus on the main research that ends will data collection. We have not included cost for data analyst and the publication of articles in open access journal. This will be our stretched goals.
Endorsed by
Project Timeline
Our team made up of the principal investigator and field assistants will intensify advocacy and mobilize the target communities to achieve campaign goals for three month. This will be followed by HIV Testing together with other health checks in participating groups in the fourth month. We will use the last month for data analysis, write manuscript, prepare presentations and articles for interpretation and results dissemination.
Apr 12, 2023
Project Launched
Apr 28, 2023
Baseline assessment
May 29, 2023
First phase of Health Education campaign in the community groups
Jun 09, 2023
Second phase of Health Education campaign in the community groups and post assessment
Jun 30, 2023
Third phase of Health Education campaign in the community groups and post assessment
Meet the Team
Affiliates
Samba Melvis
Samba Melvis Bora is a Public Health Expert and Social Reformer with great interest in multi-disciplinary activities. She majoured in high school in Physics, Chemistry and Biology and now with a Master’s degree in Public Health and a good background in Sociology, Anthropology, Medical Laboratory and Political Sciences, she is focused on making use of the skills acquired in these fields to address current issues through service to humanity. Her passion is to ensure ideas and research findings are not only presented for knowledge sharing but used to take measurable actions that will contributes to ensure sustainable maximization of resources that add value to deserving populations within the Sustainable Development Goals framework. Looking forward to do more https://www.linkedin.com/in/sa...
Lab Notes
Nothing posted yet.
Additional Information
Respecting ethics in research involving human participants, we will be working with the Control Group of a randomized controlled trial.
We will conduct health education campaign as intervention in the Control Group of a randomized controlled trial with the ethical clearance number (FHSIRB No 1016-08, 2019) and Clinical Trial Registration number (PACTR202009503991085).
Health Education targeting misinformation and disinformation about the infectious diseases HIV, will be administered as intervention for three months to determine its impact on knowledge, risk perception and acceptance to test for HIV by the target group of men. Statistical significance is set at 95% confidence and p-value at <0.05.
Project Backers
- 2Backers
- 1%Funded
- $22Total Donations
- $11.00Average Donation