title: Implementing Community Engagement for Combination Prevention: Lessons Learnt From the First Year of the HPTN 071 (PopART) Community-Randomized Study.
abstract: Key to the success of a HIV combination prevention strategy, including galvanizing the current push to roll out universal test and treat (UTT), is the involvement and buy-in of the populations that the strategy aims to reach. Drawing on the experiences of engaging with 21 communities in Zambia and South Africa in the design and implementation of a community-randomized study of combination HIV prevention including UTT, this paper reflects on the commitment to, approaches for and benefits of involving communities. Key lessons learnt include that all communities require continuous community engagement (CE) and engagement needs to be adapted to diverse local contexts. Intrinsic goals of CE, such as building trusting relationships between study stakeholders, are necessary precursors to instrumental goals which strengthen the research quality. Engaging the community for combination prevention requires that CE successfully bridges science and real life, paying attention to influences in the wider social landscape.
authors.affiliation: Zambart, School of Medicine, Ridgeway Campus, P.O. Box 50697, 10101, Lusaka, Zambia. musonda@zambart.org.zm.
authors.forename: Musonda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simwinga
authors.affiliation: Zambart, School of Medicine, Ridgeway Campus, P.O. Box 50697, 10101, Lusaka, Zambia.|Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, UK.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bond
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Stellenbosch University (DTTC) Desmond Tutu TB Centre, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Nozizwe
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Makola
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Stellenbosch University (DTTC) Desmond Tutu TB Centre, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Graeme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hoddinott
authors.affiliation: Zambart, School of Medicine, Ridgeway Campus, P.O. Box 50697, 10101, Lusaka, Zambia.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belemu
authors.affiliation: FHI360, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Rhonda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Zambart, School of Medicine, Ridgeway Campus, P.O. Box 50697, 10101, Lusaka, Zambia.
authors.forename: Kwame
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shanaube
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, UK.|MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, Entebbe, Uganda.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seeley
authors.affiliation: FHI360, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Ayana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002944:Circumcision, Male; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015024:Zambia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents
keywords: Community engagement; Community participation; Community-randomized trial; HIV prevention