This is the description of current status of linkages for HIV in Uganda.

1. Partnerships and Linkages
with Social and Behavioral
Sciences in HIV
Presented by:

2. Introduction
• Social and behavioral sciences play a crucial role in
understanding and addressing HIV/AIDS (Hogan, Galai &
Davis, 2021). Social determinants of health (SDOH) highly
impact on HIV prevention and treatment outcomes (WHO,
2020).
• The biological mechanisms underlying HIV/AIDS transmission
are well-characterized, but the prevalence and incidence of HIV
continue to increase, demonstrating the need for improved
understanding of the social and behavioral factors that
contribute to HIV transmission (UNAIDS, 2020).
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3. The linkage between social and behavioral
science and HIV
• Social and behavioral sciences (SBS) can help understand the context,
drivers, and consequences of HIV infection and prevention, as well as the
acceptability and feasibility of biomedical interventions (Corneli et al.,
2019).
• SBS can also inform the design, implementation, and evaluation of HIV
prevention programs that are tailored to the needs and preferences of
different populations and settings (Corneli et al., 2019).
• SBS can contribute to the development and testing of theory-based models
and frameworks that explain the mechanisms and pathways of HIV
transmission and intervention effectiveness (Corneli et al., 2019;
Henderson et al., 2018).
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4. The linkage between social and behavioral
science and HIV
• SBS can foster transdisciplinary research that integrates multiple
perspectives and methods to address the complex and dynamic
nature of the HIV epidemic (Henderson et al., 2018).
• It can also promote ethical norms and principles in HIV research, such
as community engagement, informed consent, respect for autonomy,
and social justice (Henderson et al., 2018).
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5. Global Partnerships
• In 1999, the NICHD initiated partnerships to strengthen social
and behavioral sciences research on HIV/AIDS in developing
countries.
• These partnerships support collaborations between
organizations in developing and developed countries,
enhancing social and behavioral sciences research on
HIV/AIDS (NICHD, 2019).
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6. Global Partnerships cont.
• The Global Fund is a partnership designed to accelerate the
end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics (Global
Fund, 2020).
• The International AIDS Society (IAS) is the world’s largest
association of HIV professionals.
• UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations and works
closely with global and national partners towards ending the
AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development
Goals .
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7. Global Partnerships cont.
• Frontline AIDS works with Alive Medical Services and
Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) to tackle Uganda’s HIV
epidemic. Along with other partners, they deliver a broad range
of HIV services to different marginalized population groups.
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8. African Partnerships
• In Africa, the Sub-Saharan African Network for TB/HIV
Research Excellence (SANTHE) is a multinational network of
multidisciplinary experts working together to empower African
scientists and combat HIV.
• In East Africa, the Sustainable East Africa Research in
Community Health (SEARCH) is a multinational consortium that
evaluates health interventions at the community level
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9. Ugandan Partnerships
• In Uganda specifically, the Makerere University Walter Reed Project
(MUWRP) has been implementing PEPFAR-supported HIV
prevention, care and treatment services since 2005.
• The project has strengthened the capacity and infrastructure of local
public and private health facilities in central Uganda to ensure
sustainable, high-quality and comprehensive HIV services.
• Uganda Virus Research Institute: The Uganda Virus Research
Institute is a Ugandan medical research organization that conducts
research on HIV/AIDS, Ebola, and other infectious diseases
• Other partners include TASO, Makerere University, among others.
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10. Conclusion
• Partnerships and linkages with social and behavioral sciences
are essential in combating HIV/AIDS. They provide a
comprehensive understanding of the complex factors
influencing the epidemic through multi-faceted approaches
including research which inform the development of effective
interventions
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11. References
• CDC. (2018). HIV Risk Behaviors.
• NICHD. (2019). Global Partnerships in HIV Research.
• UNAIDS. (2020). Understanding HIV Transmission.
• UN Women. (2020). Gender and HIV.
• WHO. (2019). Innovative Intervention Approaches.
• UNAIDS. (2021). Role of Religious Organizations in HIV Prevention.
• NIH. (2022). Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study.
• Global Fund. (2020). About the Global Fund.
• Global Partnerships for Social Science and Behavioral Research on HIV ....
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/research/supported/gpssar.
• How Biomedical HIV Prevention Trials Incorporate Behavioral and Social .... https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10461-
018-2358-0
• The Important Role of Behavioral Health in Addressing and Treating HIV .... https://www.hiv.gov/blog/important-role-behavioral-
health-addressing-and-treating-hiv-and-aids
• 5 PRIMARY HIV-PREVENTION STRATEGIES - The National Academies Press.
https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/5177/chapter/8
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