Addressing Adolescent Health in Africa
The DTHC/F Adolescent Division actively positions itself as a responsive and impactful contributor to improving adolescent health in the context of Africa’s growing youth population. Adolescents and young people face significant challenges, including vulnerability to HIV, sexual reproductive health concerns, and mental health issues. These challenges threaten their current wellbeing and their future roles as adults and parents.
Key Research Projects
Our Family Our Future
Funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health, this resilience-oriented family intervention aims to prevent HIV/STI infections and depression among adolescents in South Africa. By focusing on strengthening family bonds and resilience, the study addresses critical risk factors for adolescent health.
IMARA Study
Supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the IMARA study delivers a multilevel HIV prevention package tailored for South African adolescent girls and young women. The program combines sexual education with skills-building activities to enhance support and communication between girls and their mothers or female caregivers.
BUDDY Study
Funded by Viiv Healthcare and the Swedish Research Council, the BUDDY study examines the feasibility and effectiveness of a remote service delivery model for young people living with HIV who have initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART). The study focuses on maintaining engagement in HIV care during the COVID-19 pandemic while exploring the impact of lockdowns on young people, particularly regarding gender-based violence.
DigiTaPP
This project explores digitally driven risk networks to inform user-centric target product profiles (TPPs) for next-generation HIV vaccines. With the protocol now complete, DigiTaPP will conduct research across three countries, targeting key populations, including adolescents.
FASTPrEP
FASTPrEP is an implementation science initiative designed to scale up oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and new biomedical HIV prevention products. The project focuses on adolescent girls, young women, their partners, and young men who have sex with men (MSM). Implemented in Cape Town’s Klipfontein-Mitchells Plain Health Sub-district, FASTPrEP investigates strategies for saturating a health subdistrict with easily accessible HIV prevention options.
Building Research Capacity for Adolescent Health
The Adolescent Division runs initiatives to train and build capacity in adolescent health research. Notable efforts include the 2022 and 2023 IAVI e-fellowship programs, which empower African researchers to conduct adolescent-focused studies. These programs connect fellows with expert mentors who guide them in achieving goals like writing grants, publishing papers, and developing proposals. Participants also benefit from attending research seminars and specialized training opportunities.
Knowledge Sharing and Training
The adolescent program team actively hosts webinars, health webinar series, and training courses to disseminate knowledge and foster collaboration. For more information, visit the Training Courses section.