HIV PREVENTION RESEARCH UNIT STRATEGIES FOR ENGAGING STRATEGIES FOR ENGAGING COMMUNITIES IN COMMUNITIES IN MICROBICIDE RESEARCH: MICROBICIDE RESEARCH: EXPERIENCES, EXPERIENCES, ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND LESSONS LEARNED LESSONS LEARNED GITA RAMJEE GITA RAMJEE MTN Annual Meeting: 22 April 2008 MTN Annual Meeting: 22 April 2008
DESCRIPTION OF COMMUNITY COMMUNITY GATEKEEPERS PARTICIPANT • Political • Male partners organizations • Relatives • Traditional leaders • Local/ District Councilors Community CWG/CAB • Members of Service provider community • Religious groups • Participants • Key role players • Service Provider • NGO, CBO
COMMUNITY ROLE IN RESEARCH PROCESS Community Leaders, local Community Leaders, local Community Entry Community Entry health care providers, NGOs, health care providers, NGOs, CBOs, women’s groups CBOs, women’s groups Education: general HIV/STI Community education & Education: general HIV/STI Community education & Regular Feedback prevention, home-based care, awareness prevention, home-based care, awareness clinical trials, informed clinical trials, informed consent and regulatory consent and regulatory process Development of referral process Development of referral strategies strategies Study completion / Study completion / Participant recruitment, Participant recruitment, participant exit participant exit screening screening Follow-up Follow-up • HIV Testing • HIV Testing • Pregnancy testing • Pregnancy testing HIV –ve- enroll HIV +ve- HIV –ve- enroll • Safe Sex & HIV/STI HIV +ve- • Safe Sex & HIV/STI screened out- prevention counseling screened out- prevention counseling referred to Accrual & retention • STI testing referred to Accrual & retention • STI testing health service referral for care • Safety Testing health service referral for care • Safety Testing
EXPERIENCES Communication with community gatekeepers is vital: Communication with community gatekeepers is vital: � Community entry Community entry � � Study approval and implementation Study approval and implementation � � Recruitment, retention and study close Recruitment, retention and study close- -out out � � Results dissemination Results dissemination � � Study status update from PI with community Study status update from PI with community � stakeholders, DOH, NHREC stakeholders, DOH, NHREC
EXPERIENCES Education Education � HIV/AIDS: based on identified community needs HIV/AIDS: based on identified community needs � � Capacity build community members on basic counseling Capacity build community members on basic counseling � on HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and home based care on HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and home based care � Train CWG/CAB members on responsibilities of Train CWG/CAB members on responsibilities of � investigators, ethics and human subjects training investigators, ethics and human subjects training � Protocol training: input from community on informed Protocol training: input from community on informed � consent document and study procedure consent document and study procedure � Respect the cultural norms and values of the community Respect the cultural norms and values of the community �
EXPERIENCES Peer Educators Peer Educators � Develop volunteers as peer educators Develop volunteers as peer educators � and trainers and trainers � Protocol training Protocol training � � Recruitment and retention Recruitment and retention � requirements requirements � Results translation and dissemination Results translation and dissemination �
EXPERIENCES Trial results dissemination: Trial results dissemination: � Update community on clinical trial Update community on clinical trial � outcomes regularly outcomes regularly � Results outcome and methods of Results outcome and methods of � dissemination discussed with dissemination discussed with community community � Assist community members to address Assist community members to address � rumors/misinformation rumors/misinformation
ACCOMPLISHMENTS � Sustained relationships with various Sustained relationships with various � stakeholders stakeholders � Development of sustainable health referral Development of sustainable health referral � systems with the community for HIV positive systems with the community for HIV positive screened out women, HIV seroconvertors seroconvertors and and screened out women, HIV for reproductive health care for reproductive health care � Trained Peer educators are a resource to the Trained Peer educators are a resource to the � community who provide basic counseling and community who provide basic counseling and HIV/AIDS information HIV/AIDS information � Well educated and empowered CWG/CAB who Well educated and empowered CWG/CAB who � provide ongoing HIV/AIDS education provide ongoing HIV/AIDS education
ACCOMPLISHMENTS � Male involvement Male involvement programmes programmes with the with the � community where partners of women come community where partners of women come forward for HIV/STI testing forward for HIV/STI testing � Traditional leaders Traditional leaders - - partnerships with HPRU partnerships with HPRU � to encourage male involvement in HIV to encourage male involvement in HIV prevention efforts prevention efforts � Media and communication plan in place for Media and communication plan in place for � trial results dissemination involving trial results dissemination involving community members community members
LESSONS LEARNED � Respect for community cultural norms and Respect for community cultural norms and � acceptance of traditional values in the research acceptance of traditional values in the research process process � Regular and ongoing communication with key Regular and ongoing communication with key � role- -players from investigators/PI players from investigators/PI role � Update community on results/outcome to avoid Update community on results/outcome to avoid � concerns due to sensationalism in media concerns due to sensationalism in media reports reports � Address ethical concerns with transparency Address ethical concerns with transparency � and honesty and honesty
CONCLUSION � Transparent and honest community Transparent and honest community � partnership is key to success of clinical trials partnership is key to success of clinical trials � Involve community members from protocol Involve community members from protocol � development to dissemination of results development to dissemination of results � Respect cultural norms and traditions Respect cultural norms and traditions � � Assist and participate in community programs Assist and participate in community programs- - � enhance relationships and to use opportunity enhance relationships and to use opportunity to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS � Mutual trusting relationship is important for Mutual trusting relationship is important for � any community based intervention any community based intervention
Recommend
More recommend
