We value scientific inquiry into why individuals engage in specific behaviors that impact their health and well-being. Being at the heart of Mildmay Uganda Hospital, a Centre of Excellence offering a comprehensive package of general health services in addition to HIV care and treatment to over 17,000 People Living with HIV (PLHIV), MRCU joins the global community in the path to end AIDS by 2030 through research that targets exploration of the behavioral bottlenecks to achieving the 95-95-95 UNAIDS Global targets. We explore behavior related to Sexual & Reproductive Health and access to services. We expand our scope from Behavioral to Implementation Research to translate evidence into practice.
About Us
Our Behavioral Research dates to 2014 when research was conducted on sexual behavior of PLHIV after they were initiated on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). Over the years, we have hosted several studies that continue to impact the National and Global Research Agenda. Key to these are: HIV Self-Testing to eradicate barriers to couple testing, home based versus outreach based HIV testing, Oral Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Implementation and Social Marketing in Ugandan Fisher folk communities; the engagement in HIV care among Fisher folk communities, Supporting Adolescents to adhere to ART, changes in ART adherence in relation to mental health, understanding how PLHIV understand the health and wealth related benefits of ART, barriers to ART adherence among PLHIV, Incentives and Reminders to improve long term medication adherence and Behavioral Economics Incentives to support HIV treatment adherence in Sub-Saharan Africa.
We recognize the emergence of pandemics on health seeking behavior. We investigate the experiences of PLHIV since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. We also recognize that mental health could be the driver of behavior that affects HIV outcomes among varying age groups. Our research has expanded from investigating depression among adolescents to exploration of feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of computerized cognitive rehabilitation therapy for Ugandan seniors from fifty years and above and living with HIV.
To respond to the Sustainable Development Goal three for health and leaving no one behind, we have conducted research among refugees in urban Kampala specifically focusing on the predictors of access to Sexual and Reproductive Health services.
We have a multi-disciplinary team of researchers including Senior Behavioral Health Economists, Senior Behavioral Scientists, Mental Health Experts and Public Health Specialists.
At MRCU, we build synergy through collaborative research, and we collaborate with both local and international organizations including.
- ID Insight
- The RAND Corporation
- University of South Carolina – USA
- Dalhousie University – Canada
- Makerere University School of Public Health
- Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI)/International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) – HIV Vaccine Program.
Behavioral Research Studies
Low adherence to ART contributes to poor treatment outcomes among youth living with HIV. Incentives are a tool that can contribute to combating this threat. However, traditional designs rewarding uniformly the youth with high levels of desired health behavior may demotivate those with low health behavior. We therefore investigate the effectiveness of alternative approaches to target setting for incentive eligibility among youth 15 to 30 years. We are currently conducting the study at MRCU:
Study Title: Goals for Adherence with Low-Cost Incentives (GOALS): A randomized controlled trial evaluating the impact of small airtime incentives on ART adherence among young people living with HIV in Kampala, Uganda.
Principal Investigator (PI): - Prof. Sebastian Linnemayr.
Study period: Three years.
Started: April 2022
Funder: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
Collaborating organizations: ID Insight and the Rand Corporation.
Implementation Research
At MRCU, our scope covers Implementation Research. We have recently conducted a study that investigates the impact of partnership on Pediatric and adolescent HIV outcomes.
Study Title: Using Implementation Research to Understand the Impact and Effectiveness of the Pediatric Breakthrough Partnership in Mozambique, Nigeria and Uganda.
Principal Investigator (PI): - Dr. Brenda Okech
Study period: Two years.
Started: September 2021
Funder: GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development Limited (Tracking Number 217007), through ViiV Healthcare
Collaborating organizations: UVRI/IAVI HIV Vaccine Program