NEW NGO WEBSITE ENHANCES GLOBAL PROGRAMS MISSION
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Global Programs has launched a new website (www.ucglobalprograms.org/) aimed at enhancing partner and community engagement. With improved navigation, resources, and updates from offices in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, the site reflects UCSF's dedication to global research and training. The site was a collaborative effort and we thank all of the country teams for their input and guidance. | |
TAKE A 60-SECOND GLOBAL PROGRAMS SURVEY
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UCSF FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: ALISON COMFORT, PhD
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Left to right are Alison Comfort (UCSF PI), Hadija Nalubwama (Research Manager Makerere University), Umar Senoga (Research Assistant), Sylivia Katusabe (Research Assistant), and Sherinah Nakalembe (Research Assistant) | |
Dr. Alison Comfort's work with Global Programs in Kampala, Uganda, has laid a strong foundation for advancing maternal health research through successful collaboration and streamlined coordination with local counterparts, including Makerere University. This collaboration has been pivotal in implementing groundbreaking studies such as the START ANC project, which aims to improve maternal and fetal health outcomes by encouraging earlier antenatal care (ANC) initiation.
In her current research, Comfort (along with Drs. Josaphat Byamugisha, Alison El Ayadi, and Cynthia Harper) is exploring how social networks—comprised of partners, family, and community members—can influence when pregnant women seek ANC. The START ANC study, involving 250 women at Kawempe National Referral Hospital, investigates how these networks can be leveraged to promote earlier ANC visits, with a focus on how HIV status may affect this dynamic.
The strong support and coordination provided by the Global Programs Uganda team has enabled her to focus on research that has the potential to significantly impact maternal health outcomes in Uganda, further strengthening the relationship between her team and their local partners.
Comfort says, “It has been a pleasure to work with Peruth Kyomugisha on this project, and I look forward to our continued collaboration.”
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COLLABORATIONS IN ACTION
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Top row: Eva Muhanguzi, Andrew Ameny, and Edward Bichetero. Bottom row: Rikita Merai, Krysia Lindan, Lydia Itaagi, Evelyn Akello, and Laura Buback. (Photo courtesy of IGHS) |
Ugandan Colleagues Visit IGHS
In July, IGHS hosted members of the Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Support (METS) Program from Uganda. METS is a five-year CDC-supported partnership between Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), UCSF, and the Health Information Systems Program Uganda. This initiative aims to strengthen Uganda’s capacity for HIV and tuberculosis programming through health systems strengthening, monitoring and evaluation, strategic information, disease surveillance, and health informatics systems. Global Programs Uganda staff work with the METS team to support project implementation.
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HUMAN RESOURCES SPOTLIGHT
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Global Programs Tanzania welcomes: | |
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Data Analyst Mwantumu Masudi
will develop protocols, survey tools, and training materials while supporting research and surveillance implementation. She will be involved in data analysis and contribute to the writing and development of abstracts, reports, and manuscripts and also focus on triangulating HIV program data from sources such as CTC3, the monthly portal, and DHIS. Mwantumu holds an MSc in statistics and a BA in economics and statistics from the University of Dar Es Salaam.
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Junior HIS Developer Goodluck Mlungusye will ensure Agile software development by participating in SCRUM ceremonies and managing the software development life cycle. He will design and implement interoperability between health information systems, develop APIs, and optimize data systems for performance. Additionally, he will oversee software testing, validation, and documentation, and prepare user materials such as operating instructions, diagrams, and clean code. Mlungusye holds a BS in computer science from the University of Dar Es Salaam. | | | |
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Global Programs Tanzania presented seven posters at IAS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference, showcasing findings from a survey conducted in collaboration with the Zanzibar Integrated HIV, Hepatitis, TB, and Leprosy Programme (ZIHHTLP) and the Zanzibar government. Presenting the posters were Data Analyst Mtoro Mtoro (above, left), Executive Director of the Zanzibar AIDS Commission Dr. Ahmed Khatib (above, middle), and In-Country Director Christen Said (above, right). Dr. George Rutherford (IGHS) also presented a poster on behalf of the team. A special thanks to colleagues from ZIHHTLP and the Zanzibar AIDS Commission for their invaluable contributions.
Posters presented:
- Estimating HIV incidence among key populations in Unguja, Zanzibar, 2023
- Experiences and reporting of physical and sexual violence among key populations in Unguja, Zanzibar, 2023
- HIV and hepatitis C co-infection among people who inject drugs in Unguja, Zanzibar, 2023
- Novel questions to broaden the understanding of injection risk behaviors among people who inject drugs in Unguja, Zanzibar, 2023
- Progress towards UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets and challenges with HIV diagnosis among men who have sex with men in Unguja, Zanzibar, 2023
- Progress towards UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets and viral suppression challenges among people who inject drugs in Unguja, Zanzibar, 2023
- Uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis among key populations in Unguja, Zanzibar, 2023
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Global Programs Uganda presented, "Continuous Quality Improvement to Enhance the Quality of Recent HIV-1 Infection Surveillance: Insights and Lessons from Uganda" at IAS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference.
Since the 2019 launch of the Uganda HIV Recency Surveillance project (PI: Dr. George Rutherford, IGHS), Global Programs Uganda has strengthened data quality across all 15 regions of the country through continuous quality improvement (CQI) efforts. Context-specific interventions designed by health facility staff have addressed performance gaps and improved adherence to standards, even within an overburdened public health system. These CQI activities have ensured the availability of reliable data for HIV Recency surveillance stakeholders.
In addition, a manuscript has been submitted to the East African Journal of Applied Health Monitoring and Evaluation. Working on this project were Tifu Agaba and Ronald Kiranda (Global Programs Uganda); Christine Katusiime (AIDS Control Program, Ministry of Health Uganda); Willy Bikokye (USAID Uganda); Florence Namimbi (Infectious Diseases Institute, Uganda); and Laura Buback, Eva Muhanguzi, Rikita Merai, and Rachel King (UCSF IGHS).
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HIV Recency CQI Officer Tifu Agaba presented at IAS 2024. | |
Left to right are Oscar Ssentongo (Rakai Health Sciences Program), Tifu Agaba, Geoffrey Taasi (Uganda Ministry of Health), and Hassan Segujja- Abbott (Abbot Medical) | | |
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Global Programs Kenya Country Director Dr. Koki Kinagwi attended the 7th Annual AFREhealth Symposium held in Nairobi August 6-8. During her presentation, "An Institution’s Spectrum of Support for International Research: Opportunities to Increase Equity and Partnership," she discussed UCSF’s model of working through Global Programs offices as one way of ensuring greater equity across partnerships and collaborations. | | |
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Integrated Bio-Behavioral Study (IBBS) in Kenya: A Triumph of Resilience and Adaptability
Under the CDC-funded HIV Surveillance project, UCSF and Global Programs Kenya—in collaboration with Kenya’s Ministry of Health National AIDS Control Program (NASCOP), nine county governments, and the Key Population Consortium—are nearing the completion of long-awaited key population and HIV/STI estimates that have been elusive for the past decade. This remarkable and tactical collaboration successfully engaged over 10,000 IBBS participants across four key population typologies (Female Sex Workers, Men who have Sex with Men, People Who Inject Drugs, and Transgender individuals) from nine counties—an extraordinary accomplishment achieved within just six months.
The study’s findings (PI: Dr. George Rutherford, IGHS) will be pivotal in informing HIV/STI prevention and treatment policies, strategies, and programs at both national and county levels. In addition, it will provide updated insights into the risk factors associated with HIV/STI infections and generate vital size estimates specific to key populations, counties, and typologies.
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The ENGAGE Project (PI: Fitti Weissglas, IGHS) recently celebrated the graduation of 90 young women who completed intensive training in data science across six Kenyan universities, including Meru University of Science and Technology. This initiative, part of a larger effort funded by Takeda Pharmaceuticals and led by the University of Nairobi (in partnership with UCSF), aims to empower young women from underserved backgrounds by equipping them with essential data science skills to address public health challenges. The graduates’ success highlights the project's commitment to fostering women in STEM and creating impactful solutions for communities in Kenya.
Learn more about the program at ENGAGE Kenya LinkedIn.
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Global Programs Kenya led research to address maternal health disparities in low- and middle-income countries, where 800 pregnancy-related deaths occur daily. In sub-Saharan Africa, many women, particularly from low socioeconomic backgrounds, do not deliver in health facilities, leading to poor outcomes. To address this, the "Caring for Providers to Improve Patient Experience" (CPIPE) intervention was developed (PI: Dr. Patience Afulani, UCSF OBGYN). CPIPE focuses on provider training, peer support, mentorship, embedded champions, leadership engagement, and promoting equitable and respectful care to tackle key drivers of poor person-centered maternal care, such as stress, burnout, and bias.
In July, Advances in Global Health published "Implementation of the Caring for Providers to Improve Patient Experience Intervention in Migori County, Kenya: Challenges, Successes, and Lessons." Authors include Beryl Ogolla (Global Programs Kenya), Linnet Ongeri (KEMRI), Edwina Oboke (Global Programs Kenya), Monica Getahun (UCSF IGHS), Joyceline Kinyua (KEMRI), Iscar Oluoch (Migori County Government, Kenya), James Oduor (Migori County Referral Hospital, Kenya), and Patience Afulani (UCSF IGHS).
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Global Health and Human Rights Webinar Series (begins Sept. 16)
HHRI is co-hosting a new speaker series focused on displacement and humanitarian protection, featuring experts from medicine, healthcare, law, policy, and the environment. The webinars, which are free and open to the public, are jointly organized and co-sponsored by UCSF HHRI, Cambridge Health Alliance Asylum Program, and the Johns Hopkins HEAL Collaborative.
NIH Grant Closeout Process Webinar (Sept. 17, 10-11 am PT)
Open to those involved in grant closeout (post-award staff, grant administrators, financial officers, accountants). Topics include: Final Research Performance Progress Report, Final Invention Statement, Final Federal Financial Report, and the importance of thorough record-keeping throughout the grant lifecycle. Registration Required
CUGH 2025 Virtual Global Health Week: Sept. 30 - Oct. 3
CUGH 2025 Atlanta: Feb. 20-23, 2025
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Created by the IRSO Office at UCSF, the Global Programs e-newsletter is a quarterly publication sent to all GP staff and selected UCSF audiences. Submit feedback or content suggestions to irso@ucsf.edu. | |
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