TY - JOUR
T1 - A social innovation to empower community-led monitoring and mobilization for HIV prevention in rural Kenya
T2 - experimenting to reduce the HIV prevention policy-implementation gap
AU - Goodman, Michael
AU - Turan, Janet
AU - Keiser, Philip
AU - Seidel, Sarah
AU - Raimer-Goodman, Lauren
AU - Gitari, Stanley
AU - Mukiri, Fridah
AU - Brault, Marie
AU - Patel, Premal
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2023 Goodman, Turan, Keiser, Seidel, Raimer-Goodman, Gitari, Mukiri, Brault and Patel.
PY - 2023/11/2
Y1 - 2023/11/2
N2 - Introduction: Strong policy guidance has recently emerged identifying focal points at multiple levels and across sectors to end the persistent HIV pandemic and related inequities. Reducing the policy-implementation gap, as with the evidence-policy gap, requires strategic alignment between interventional research and policy realms. Global- and national-level HIV policy indicate a need for community-led efforts to reduce HIV stigma, and increase uptake of HIV prevention tools. Methods: This study assesses a process-driven approach to facilitating community-led efforts to reduce HIV stigma, and build a generative context for community-led HIV prevention. The study intervention combines an adapted group-based microfinance process, a novel psychological curriculum, and leadership development at a scale now involving over 10,000 rural Kenyans across 39 villages. Results: Consistent with interventional goals, and current relevant psychosocial theories, we find collective emotion, and HIV stigma (blame and discrimination) significantly improve with more time participating in the in the program and novel curriculum. Further, HIV stigma predicts subsequent reporting of ever being tested for HIV, and the intervention led to the development of “HIV prevention resource committees” – groups of participants committed to undergo training to reduce HIV stigma and prevent HIV within their communities. Discussion: Implications for further research to reduce the HIV policy-implementation gap are discussed, directly within this interventional context and more generally.
AB - Introduction: Strong policy guidance has recently emerged identifying focal points at multiple levels and across sectors to end the persistent HIV pandemic and related inequities. Reducing the policy-implementation gap, as with the evidence-policy gap, requires strategic alignment between interventional research and policy realms. Global- and national-level HIV policy indicate a need for community-led efforts to reduce HIV stigma, and increase uptake of HIV prevention tools. Methods: This study assesses a process-driven approach to facilitating community-led efforts to reduce HIV stigma, and build a generative context for community-led HIV prevention. The study intervention combines an adapted group-based microfinance process, a novel psychological curriculum, and leadership development at a scale now involving over 10,000 rural Kenyans across 39 villages. Results: Consistent with interventional goals, and current relevant psychosocial theories, we find collective emotion, and HIV stigma (blame and discrimination) significantly improve with more time participating in the in the program and novel curriculum. Further, HIV stigma predicts subsequent reporting of ever being tested for HIV, and the intervention led to the development of “HIV prevention resource committees” – groups of participants committed to undergo training to reduce HIV stigma and prevent HIV within their communities. Discussion: Implications for further research to reduce the HIV policy-implementation gap are discussed, directly within this interventional context and more generally.
KW - HIV testing
KW - HIV-related stigma
KW - Kenya
KW - collective efficacy
KW - positive emotions
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U2 - 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1240200
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1240200
M3 - Article
C2 - 38026281
AN - SCOPUS:85177195387
SN - 2296-2565
VL - 11
SP - 1240200
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
JF - Frontiers in Public Health
M1 - 1240200
ER -