1. Adolescent HIV Prevention and Treatment Implementation Science Alliance (AHISA)
Rachel Sturke, PhD
Deputy Director and Senior Scientist
Center for Global Health Studies
Fogarty International Center

3. Focus on Adolescents
AIDS is the leading cause of death for adolescents in SSA.
Of the 2.1M adolescents living with HIV, 80% live in SSA.
Barriers to HIV prevention and treatment in this age group:
access to health services,
gender-based violence,
harmful cultural and social norms
Interventions require a
multifaceted approach

4. Implementation Scientists
AHISA Platform
Goal: enhance the effective use of evidence and help overcome implementation challenges related to prevention, screening and treatment of HIV among adolescents (ages 15 to 24) in sub-Saharan Africa
Implementation Scientists
Program Implementers
Policy- makers
By catalyzing collaboration and communication among implementation scientists, program implementers and policymakers
An innovative platform made up of 15 teams

5. Ensure that future research is responsive to the local context;
AHISA Objectives
Facilitate dialogue and exchange of ideas between researchers, implementers and decision-makers;
Enhance communication and collaboration between these communities to enable more effective translation of evidence into health policies and programs;
Ensure that future research is responsive to the local context;
Think together about the emergent implementation science agenda.
Modeled after the NIH PMTCT Implementation Science Alliance

6. Connecting Research to Policy and Implementation in the PMTCT Alliance
Researchers and users of research evidence have different perspectives on what evidence is most useful
Researchers and policymakers ask different questions
Different stakeholder audiences
Defining rigor and sufficient rigor for scalability
The tension between generalizability and local context

7. Steering Committee Members
AHISA
NIMH
NIAID
Desmond Tutu HIV Found.
USAID
OAR
NICHD
EGPAF
UNICEF
CDC
OGAC
WHO
Steering Committee Members
Partnerships from PMTCT and ICs have invested in the model
-NIH ICs, WHO, CDC, EGPAF, USAID
All CGHS projects are guided by SC

8. Selected through a competitive process
AHISA Members
Teams are composed of
NIH-Funded Scientists
In-Country Partners, including government representatives, research collaborators, and program implementers
Selected through a competitive process
Diverse disciplines working across HIV
Prevention
Treatment & Adherence
Life Transitions
importance of having researchers work with in-country implementers and decision makers
Teams applied to the alliance together
they were given the opportunity to bring in 1 or 2 in-country partners as defined here
Had to have a research focus on IS and ad health (can see sheet for more details about the teams)
Teams naturally divided themselves into these categories
Prevention includes risk factors and is as diverse as PrEP, testing, condom use
Treatment includes linkage to care, stigma, living with HIV, PMTCT
Transition includes pediatrics to ad, and ad to adult
15 teams from 11 countries

9. Alliance Activities Inaugural meeting (May 2017) IS Training
(January 2018)
Joint-NIMH Meeting
(October 2018)
Proposal Development Workshop
(Fall 2019)
CIPHER IS Research Priority Setting
(Spring/Fall 2017)
IAS Satellite Session
(July 2018)
End-User Engagement Meeting
(February 2019)
Launched in 2017, we expect the Alliance in its current iteration to meet four times over two years
We’re half way through and there is a lot of interest to continue
Ongoing:
Stay-Free
NISA Steering Committee Participation

10. First AHISA Forum
Goal: Exchange ideas and information among the members, identify the most significant challenges to implementing proven interventions for prevention and treatment of HIV among adolescents, and collectively set goals and next steps for AHISA.
Themes
Next Steps
IS study designs
Engage youth
Stigma
Social determinants:
Address hostile environments
Adolescent sexuality and sex ed
Health services
Build IS capacity among members
Develop an IS research agenda
Integrate end-users in the Alliance and within policy and program development and implementation
This first meeting brought the Alliance teams together

11. Implementation Science Training
Goal: To provide Alliance members with an in-depth overview of the theory, operational and evaluation approaches to implementation science; methods to assess barriers in implementation science and strategies/tools to overcome them; and options for dissemination of results
Implementation Outcomes
Implementation Science Theory, Frameworks, and Models
Implementation Determinants
Implementation Strategies
Documentation and Evaluation of Implementation Research Projects
Sessions
TW UNC Wits AIDS Implementation Research and Cohort Analyses Training Grant (2014- )
Small group work sessions were held throughout for groups to apply concepts to real-life, case study examples

12. Expected Deliverables
Overview publication
Special Issue Supplement
Highlight the role of evidence in the policy-making process to understand the interrelationships stakeholders involved in programmatic transition and insights on how to overcome these challenges.
Document the utility and impact of the Alliance model.
Dissemination
White papers and participation in relevant meetings and conferences.
Webinars hosted on UNICEF’s community of practice, which has an audience of researchers, implementers, and policymakers.
Webinar topics: Topics will be focused around the select, high-priority themes, including how to effectively engage users of research evidence prevention and modifiable risk factors, adherence and linkage to care and treatment, and transition to adult care.

13. Expected Outcomes & Impacts
Country-led and complimentary initiatives
Country-led IS initiatives and/or alliances
Improved engagement among researchers, implementers, and policymakers
Research partnerships between AHISA members- cross-regional research, data sharing, and research development
Impacts on health policy/programming
AHISA-relevant research
Increase in successful IS applications
Increase in publications related to IS and adolescent HIV authored by AHISA members and partners
Catalyze AHISA-relevant funding
Research partnerships between AHISA members- including cross-regional research, data sharing, and research development

14. Thank you