Clinical Research Directory

Prevention of Mother-to-child Transmission (PMTCT) Among Women Experiencing Depression in Malawi

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV virtually eliminates transmission of HIV from mothers to their infants. Adherence to PMTCT (i.e., to antiretroviral therapy, infant prophylaxis, and exclusive breastfeeding) during pregnancy and the postpartum period is challenging, with evidence from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) showing suboptimal adherence and persistent viremia among perinatal women. Perinatal depression (PD) is a major driver of women's poor adherence to PMTCT. Interventions that involve male partners to provide social and food/economic support could be a promising approach for addressing PD and PMTCT, yet few interventions have intervened with couples to improve systems of support, communication, and other dyadic processes. The investigators propose to develop and test a couple-based approach to intervene on the mother's perinatal depressive symptoms and to strengthen the relationship and support system for partners to work together around depression to improve PMTCT adherence. The study will take place in antenatal and HIV care settings in Zomba, Malawi. The specific aims are: (1) to develop a couple-based intervention to target perinatal depression (PD) based on an evidence-based approach using problem-solving therapy (PST), augmented with content on couple communication and problem-solving skills; and (2) to assess the feasibility and acceptability (F\&A) of the intervention via a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT). Our short-term goal is the produce a couple-focused PST intervention that can be added to the global health toolkit for treating depression in perinatal women. Our long-term goal is to produce a high-impact and sustainable intervention leveraging the couple relationship that can be scaled-up to address depression, PMTCT adherence, and family health.

Optimizing Prevention and Care for Pregnant and Postpartum Adolescent Girls and Young Women With HIV in Tanzania

The goal of this clinical trial is to find better ways to care for pregnant and postpartum adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aged 15-24 years with HIV in Tanzania, and to prevent them from passing HIV to their babies. The main questions it aims to answer are: * How often do young pregnant women with HIV go to their health appointments and stay on their treatment up to two years after giving birth? * How many babies born to young women with HIV stay HIV-free for two years? * How soon do young women with HIV get pregnant again after giving birth, and what factors affect this? * What are the best ways to help young women with HIV stay in care and stay healthy during and after pregnancy? * What social and structural factors affect whether young pregnant women with HIV go to their health appointments and stay on their treatment? * How can we work with young women with HIV to create and test a package of interventions to improve their healthcare during and after pregnancy? * Can this package of interventions help young women with HIV stay in care and remain healthy during and after pregnancy? Participants will: * Have their health data analyzed via health service records of all women who received HIV prevention services between 2018 and 2020, and were followed until 2023, across 559 health facilities in Tanzania. * Participate in qualitative interviews to share their experiences and challenges with staying in care. * Help to co-create a package of interventions to improve care. * Take part in a cluster-randomized trial to test these interventions. Researchers will compare the outcomes of the intervention package to see if they improve care engagement, retention, and health outcomes for AGYW with HIV during and after pregnancy.