Partner, Couple, and Social Network-Based Approaches

Couple-Based Interventions for Families

Project Dates:
03/2015 - 02/2021

Role:
Principal Investigator

Funder:
NIMH
K99/R00 MH104154

Project Dates:
12/2013 - 12/2014

Role:
Principal Investigator

Funder:
Center for AID Research (Developmental Award)
P30 AI50410

Developing and Evaluating a Male Engagement Intervention for Option B+ in Malawi

Supporting pregnant women living with HIV to invite their male partners for HIV testing has potential benefits for women, partners, and infants. In a randomized controlled trial we found that a couple-based intervention improved viral suppression outcomes for couples living with HIV.

Assessing Strategies for Increasing Male involvement in Malawi’s Option B+ Program

In Malawi’s antenatal setting, I led a randomized controlled trial demonstrating that voluntary assisted partner notification was more effective than passive referral for uptake of couple HIV testing and counseling. The strategy was acceptable and facilitated partner support. This trial was integral in changing World Health Organization recommendations and PEPFAR guidance around voluntary assisted partner notification.

    1. Rosenberg NE, et al. Recruiting male partners for couple HIV testing and counselling in Malawi's option B+ programme: an unblinded randomised controlled trial. Lancet HIV. 2015. [Full Text]

    2. Wesevich A, et al. Female adherence self-efficacy before and after couple HIV testing and counseling within Malawi's Option B+ program. AIDS Care. 2020. [Full Text]

    3. Bhushan NL, et al. The impact of HIV couple testing and counseling on social support among pregnant women and their partners in Lilongwe, Malawi: an observational study. AIDS Care. 2019. [Full Text]

    4. Simon KR, et al. Family Testing: An Index Case Finding Strategy to Close the Gaps in Pediatric HIV Diagnosis. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2018. [Full Text]

    5. Rosenberg NE, et al. Individual, Partner, and Couple Predictors of HIV Infection among Pregnant Women in Malawi: A Case-Control Study. AIDS Behav. 2018. [Full Text]

    6. Rosenberg NE, et al. "We have heard it together": a qualitative analysis of couple HIV testing and counselling recruitment in Malawi's Option B+ programme. Afr J AIDS Res. 2017. [Full Text]

    7. Ahmed S, et al. Index case finding facilitates identification and linkage to care of children and young persons living with HIV/AIDS in Malawi. Trop Med Int Health. 2017. [Full Text]

    8. Rosenberg NE, et al. The Impact of Couple HIV Testing and Counseling on Consistent Condom Use Among Pregnant Women and Their Male Partners: An Observational Study. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2017. [Full Text]

    9. Wesevich A, et al. Role of male partner involvement in ART retention and adherence in Malawi's Option B+ program. AIDS Care. 2017. [Full Text]

    10. Rosenberg NE, et al. The impact of a couple-based intervention on one-year viral suppression among pregnant women living with HIV and their male partners in Malawi: A randomized controlled trial. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2024. [Full Text]

    11. Huffstetler HE, et al. Factors associated with recent HIV infection among pregnant women in Lilongwe: a case control study. HIV Pediatrics 2021, July 16, 2021 (oral poster walk). [Link to Abstract]

PRACTICE

Project Dates:
07/2020 - 05/2025

Role:
Principal Investigator

Funder:
NIMH
R01 MH124526

Enhancing HIV assisted contact tracing in Malawi through blended learning: an implementation science study (Package of Resources for Assisted Contact Tracing: Implementation, Costs, and Effectiveness)

Asking health workers to assist people living with HIV with recruitment of their sexual contacts is an effective and efficient way of identifying persons in need of HIV treatment and prevention. However, health workers lack the counseling and coordination skills to routinely assist clients with these services. This study found that a set of digital capacity-building tools could improve health care worker skills and ultimately impact clinical outcomes.

    1. Rosenberg NE, et al. Development of a Blended Learning Approach to Delivering HIV-Assisted Contact Tracing in Malawi: Applied Theory and Formative Research. JMIR Form Res. 2022. [Full Text]

    2. Meek CJ, et al. Examining the feasibility of assisted index case testing for HIV case-finding: a qualitative analysis of barriers and facilitators to implementation in Malawi. BMC Health Serv Res. 2024. [Full Text]

    3. Tembo TA, et al. Does a blended learning implementation package enhance HIV index case testing in Malawi? A protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open. 2024. [Full Text]

    4. Tembo TA, et al. Pilot-Testing a Blended Learning Package for Health Care Workers to Improve Index Testing Services in Southern Malawi: An Implementation Science Study. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2021. [Full Text]

    5. Tembo TA, et al. Enhancing an HIV index case testing passive referral model through a behavioural skills-building training for healthcare providers: a pre-/post-assessment in Mangochi District, Malawi. J Int AIDS Soc. 2019. [Full Text]

    6. Tembo TA, Ahmed S, Rosenberg NE. Assisted partner services for people with HIV who inject drugs. Lancet Glob Health. 2024. [Full Text]

    7.  Rosenberg NE, Tembo TA. Implementing HIV Assisted Partner Services in routine settings. Lancet Glob Health. 2023. [Full Text]

Social Network Study

Project Dates:
01/2010 - 12/2010

Role:
Co-Investigator

PI:
Ronald Swanstrom

Funder:
Center for AIDS Research
P30 AI50410

Recruitment of High Risk Persons through Social Contacts of Individuals with STDs and HIV

Members of the same peer group may present with similar patterns of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. This “proof-of-concept” study assessed whether it was feasible to recruit the peer groups of high risk individuals, and whether such peer groups display higher rates of STDs and HIV.

    1. Rosenberg NE, et al. Recruiting the social contacts of patients with STI for HIV screening in Lilongwe, Malawi: process evaluation and assessment of acceptability. Sex Transm Infect. 2016. [Full Text]

    2. Rosenberg NE, et al. STI patients are effective recruiters of undiagnosed cases of HIV: results of a social contact recruitment study in Malawi. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2014. [Full Text]

Tonse Pamodze

Project Dates:
12/2016 - 11/2021

Role:
Co-Investigator

PI:
Benjamin Chi

Funder:
NIAID
R01 AI131060-05

A Dyad Approach to Combination HIV Prevention in Pregnancy for Zambia and Malawi

Women in sub-Saharan Africa face a high risk of HIV acquisition during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Although programs have expanded rapidly to prevent perinatal HIV transmission in Zambia and Malawi, there remain many missed opportunities for combination HIV prevention for pregnant women and their partners. We address this implementation gap by designing and evaluating a multi-component HIV prevention package for this often overlooked population.

    1. Graybill LA, et al. Predictors of maternal HIV acquisition during pregnancy and lactation in sub-Saharan Africa:  a systematic review and narrative synthesis. PLoS ONE. 2024. [Full Text]

    2. Chi BH, et al. A Patient-Centered, Combination Intervention to Support Adherence to HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: A Randomized Pilot Study in Malawi. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2024. [PubMed]

    3. Kumwenda A, et al. Two strategies for partner notification and partner HIV self-testing reveal no evident predictors of male partner HIV testing in antenatal settings: A secondary analysis. Int J STD AIDS. 2023. [Full Text]

    4. Saidi F, et al. Acceptability of a Combination Adherence Strategy to Support HIV Antiretroviral Therapy and Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Adherence During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding in Malawi. AIDS Behav. 2023. [PubMed]

    5. Powers KA, et al. Combination HIV prevention during pregnancy and the post-partum period in Malawi and Zambia: a mathematical modelling analysis. J Int AIDS Soc. 2023. [Full Text]

    6. Hampanda KM, et al. Strategies to increase couples HIV testing and counselling in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review. J Int AIDS Soc. 2023. [Full Text]

    7. Mutale W, et al. Addition of HIV self-test kits to partner notification services to increase HIV testing of male partners of pregnant women in Zambia: two parallel randomised trials. Lancet Glob Health. 2021. [Full Text]

    8. Mweemba O, et al. Contextualising men's role and participation in PMTCT programmes in Malawi and Zambia: A hegemonic masculinity perspective. Glob Public Health. 2022. [Full Text]

    9. Hill LM, et al. Tonse Pamodzi: Developing a combination strategy to support adherence to antiretroviral therapy and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis during pregnancy and breastfeeding. PLoS One. 2021. [Full Text]

    10. Saidi F, et al. Combination adherence strategy to support HIV antiretroviral therapy and pre-exposure prophylaxis adherence during pregnancy and breastfeeding: protocol for a pair of pilot randomised trials. BMJ Open. 2021. [Full Text]

    11. Graybill LA, et al. Incident HIV among pregnant and breast-feeding women in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. AIDS. 2020. [Full Text]

    12. Zimba C, et al. The landscape for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis during pregnancy and breastfeeding in Malawi and Zambia: A qualitative study. PLoS One. 2019. [Full Text]

    13. Hershow RB, et al. Perspectives on HIV partner notification, partner HIV self-testing and partner home-based HIV testing by pregnant and postpartum women in antenatal settings: a qualitative analysis in Malawi and Zambia. J Int AIDS Soc. 2019. [Full Text]

    14. Chi BH, et al. Involving both parents in HIV prevention during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Bull World Health Organ. 2018. [Full Text]