Manicaland Centre at AIDSImpact 2017 Conference

The Manicaland Centre was well represented at the 13th AIDSImpact Conference that was held in  Cape Town, South Africa, on 13 - 15 November 2017. AIDSImpact is an international behavioral and psychosocial science conference that addresses issues related to HIV prevention, treatment and care, focusing on communities and countries hardest hit by the HIV epidemic. 

Constance Nyamukapa (pictured) reported on findings from a new study, which found female sex workers to have greater uptake of HIV treatment services compared to peers who do not engage in  sex work. 

Robin Schaefer presented a couple of posters on the HIV prevention cascade. One poster critiques existing cascades and develops and assesses a new set of generic user-centric formulations for use in population surveys. In another poster, Schaefer presented an overarching explanatory framework  to interpret HIV prevention cascades and to guide interventions.

Morten Skovdal presented a paper drawing on qualitative research, which observed how improved access to antiretroviral therapy made it possible for our participants to live, care for others, and perform their social responsibilities, such as being a parent or a spouse, which in turn sparked engagement with HIV services. Morten also presented a paper reporting on the accounts of relatives of kin who have succumbed to HIV. The relatives vocalized the perceived behavior of some of the hardest to reach men in the HIV response, illuminating how dimensions of masculine norms may contribute to HIV positive men’s reduced life expectancy.

The conference was also attended by Louisa Moorhouse.