# Sociobehavioral Sciences Research to Improve Care for HIV Infection in Tanzania

> **NIH NIH D43** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $73,967

## Abstract

Abstract:
 Tanzania has an estimated HIV seroprevalence of 4.7%, and 1,400,000 persons living with HIV
infection. It faces significant obstacles to optimal care and prevention services including a lack of
HIV-related knowledge, co-morbidities of mental illness and substance abuse, poverty, rural
residence, limited health care infrastructure, and inadequate numbers of health care personnel.
Tanzanian leadership and the PEPFAR Country Operating Plan have prioritized the uptake of
testing services, optimizing adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), promoting diligent
monitoring of ART with viral load testing, and addressing co-morbidities of mental illness and
substance abuse. In this context, the importance of developing in-country research expertise in
sociobehavioral and implementation sciences is extraordinary.
 The Duke University Global Health Institute (DGHI) and Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center
(KCMC)/Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMU Co) have partnered to develop
such expertise. They have a robust portfolio of research supported by six different NIH Institutes.
Development of research expertise has been a priority, and has been supported by four D43
awards and the Medical Education Partnership Initiative. In our current D43 funding cycle, the
HIV and Sociobehavioral Sciences Research Training Program has supported the trainings of
three PhD's, one Master's of Medicine (MMed) in Psychiatry, three Master's in Public Health, and
three short-term trainees to build research capacity. Many of these trainings have occurred in a
South-South relationship between the University of Cape Town (UCT) and KCMC/KCMU Co.
 In this competitive renewal application, we propose trainings to further expand and solidify these
initial efforts. Candidates will pursue PhD trainings in implementation science (University of North
Carolina) and Psychology at (UCT), MMed in Psychiatry (UCT), MPH (UCT), and short-term
trainings. Upon completion, these scientists will join those from the current D43 training cycle to
form a talented team with a breadth of expertise to perform rigorous sociobehavioral and
implementation science research. Together they will have access to a limited pool of pilot
research funds through this proposal to further their pathway to independence. They will receive
strong institutional support from the research environment and culture of KCMC/KCMU College,
who have also agreed to create Departments of Sociobehavioral Sciences and Sociobehavioral
Medicine to host the scientists upon return to Moshi.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10254046
- **Project number:** 3D43TW009595-08S1
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** John A Bartlett
- **Activity code:** D43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $73,967
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2013-08-01 → 2023-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10254046

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10254046, Sociobehavioral Sciences Research to Improve Care for HIV Infection in Tanzania (3D43TW009595-08S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10254046. Licensed CC0.

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