1. Adolescents living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: An implementation science research agenda
Julie Denison
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Project SOAR
AIDS 2016, Satellite Session “Listen Up! What Youth Living with HIV Need to Achieve ” Durban South Africa, July 18-22, 2016.

2. COLLECTIVE COMMITMENT COLLECTIVE ACTION
USAID/Project SOAR held a 2-day meeting with experts on Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (Feb 2016):
Youth living with HIV, researchers, policy makers, and program implementers
US government and international agencies, NGO’s and Universities

3. PURPOSE OF THE EXPERT MEETING 1) Examine what we know, 2) identify what we need to know (priority research questions) about ALHIV in SSA and the HIV care continuum
HIV testing/linkages to care (ART initiation)
Retention in care
ART adherence and viral suppression
Transition to self-management/adult care

4. MEETING RESULTS

5. MEETING RESULTS – Literature Review
Little published evidence on interventions to support year olds living with HIV in SSA (n=7 published studies).
Retention
Adherence
Transition
# of published articles 3 4

6. EXAMPLE TOOLS AND INFORMATION
Caregiver companion manual forthcoming

7. MEETING RESULTS – Research Agenda
EXAMPLE RESEARCH QUESTIONS
What are the effects and costs of a stigma reduction intervention on uptake of HIV testing and linkage to care among adolescents?
Can providers’ enhanced capacity to deliver adolescent services improve retention?
How can we best identify adolescents in need of adherence interventions before treatment failure occurs?
What are the key predictors of a successful transition for adolescents who are in HIV care?

8. CHALLENGES – for your INPUT Today!!
Stigma
Key populations
Youth engagement

9. Thank you
USAID – including the Project SOAR Management Team, Technical Advisors and other colleagues who contributed to the conceptualization of the meeting
Project SOAR partner representatives from UNC, EGPAF, Palladium, Hopkins and Avenir
Population Council Staff: Ellen Weiss for her technical writing and editing skills, Sherry Hutchinson and Sean Compas for organizing the meeting