Barriers and Facilitators to Effective Implementation of the NAMWEZA Intervention in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The NAMWEZA intervention was implemented, using a ten-session group format, to build skills targeting psychosocial vulnerabilities and enhancing HIV prevention among people living with HIV (PLH) and their social networks. The overall goal of this intervention is to improve psychological wellbeing and reduce HIV risk behaviours. These analyses aim to describe the barriers and facilitators of implementing the NAMWEZA intervention from the perspective of participants and trained peer group facilitators. Twenty-four in-depth interviews were conducted with NAMWEZA participants, and 50 pooled peer facilitator self-assessment reports were obtained from 16 trained peers. Participants identified personal and structural barriers, including fear of inadvertent HIV status disclosure, time constraints, level of participant reimbursements, and limited space available for group sessions. Factors facilitating effective implementation included perceived benefits of the program, such as reduction in HIV-related risk behaviours, increased self-esteem, and improvement in confidence in HIV prevention communications. Scaling up the NAMWEZA intervention to other areas of Tanzania or regionally should take into account these facilitators and barriers to implementation.

Evaluating spillover of HIV knowledge from study participants to their network members in a stepped-wedge behavioural intervention in Tanzania.

OBJECTIVES: We aim to describe the social network members of participants of a behavioural intervention, and examine how the effects of the intervention may spillover among network members. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a step-wedge randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Change agents (CAs) were recruited from waiting rooms of HIV treatment facilities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and their network members (NMs) were recruited directly by CAs. PARTICIPANTS: We enrolled 662 CAs in an HIV behavioural intervention. They, along with 710 of their NMs, completed baseline and follow-up interviews from 2011 to 2013. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES: The primary outcome of this study was change in NMs' HIV knowledge, and the secondary outcome was whether the NM was lost to follow-up. RESULTS: At baseline, many characteristics were different between NMs and CAs. We found a number of NM characteristics significantly associated with follow-up of NMs, particularly female gender (OR=1.64, 95% CI: 1.02 to 2.63) and HIV knowledge (OR=20.0, 95% CI: 3.70 to 125); only one CA variable was significantly associated with NM follow-up: having a private source of water (OR=2.17, 95% CI: 1.33 to 3.57). The 14.2% increase in NMs' HIV knowledge was largely due to CAs feeling empowered to pass on prior knowledge, rather than transmitting new knowledge to their NMs. CONCLUSIONS: Characteristics of social network members of persons living with HIV persons living with HIV may play a role in study retention. Additionally, the HIV knowledge of these NMs increased largely as a function of CA participation in the intervention, suggesting that intervening among highly-connected individuals may maximise benefits to the potential population for whom spillover can occur. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Clinical Trial: NCT01693458; Post-results.

Agents of change: Comparing HIV-related risk behavior of people attending ART clinics in Dar es Salaam with members of their social networks.

The aim of the study is to compare sociodemographic characteristics, psychosocial factors, HIV knowledge and risk behaviors of people living with HIV (PLH) and their social network members (NMs) to inform HIV prevention programs that engage PLH as prevention educators in their communities. We compared baseline characteristics of PLH enrolled in an intervention to become HIV prevention Change Agents (CAs) (n = 458) and 602 NMs they recruited. CAs and NMs responded to questionnaires through a computer-driven interface with Audio Computer-Assisted Self Interview (ACASI) software. Although NMs scored higher on socio-economic status, self-esteem and general self-efficacy, they had lower HIV knowledge (AOR 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1-2.1), greater inconsistent condom use (AOR 3.2; 95% CI: 2.4-4.9), and recent experience as perpetrators of physical (AOR 2.5; 95% CI: 1.2-5.1) or sexual (AOR 4.1; 95% CI: 1.4-12.7) intimate partner violence; and as victims of physical (AOR 1.5; 95% CI: 1.0-2.3) or sexual (AOR 2.2; 95% CI: 1.3-3.8) forms of violence than CAs. Higher HIV knowledge and lower sexual risk behaviors among CAs suggest PLH's potential as communicators of HIV prevention information to NMs. CAs' training should also focus on improving self-esteem, general self-efficacy and social support to increase their potential effectiveness as HIV prevention educators and enhance their own overall health and well-being.

Agents of change among people living with HIV and their social networks: stepped-wedge randomised controlled trial of the NAMWEZA intervention in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

INTRODUCTION: NAMWEZA is a novel intervention that focuses on preventing HIV and promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights by addressing underlying factors related to vulnerability of acquiring HIV, such as depression, intimate partner violence (IPV) and stigma. The goal of the study was to evaluate the effect of the NAMWEZA intervention on risk behaviour as well as factors potentially contributing to this vulnerability for people living with HIV and their network members. METHODS: A stepped-wedge randomised controlled trial was conducted from November 2010 to January 2014 among people living with HIV and their network members in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 458 people living with HIV were randomised within age/sex-specific strata to participate in the NAMWEZA intervention at three points in time. In addition, 602 members of their social networks completed the baseline interview. Intention-to-treat analysis was performed, including primary outcomes of uptake of HIV services, self-efficacy, self-esteem, HIV risk behaviour and IPV. RESULTS: For people living with HIV, a number of outcomes improved with the NAMWEZA intervention, including higher self-efficacy and related factors, as well as lower levels of depression and stigma. IPV reduced by 40% among women. Although reductions in HIV risk behaviour were not observed, an increase in access to HIV treatment was reported for network members (72% vs 94%, p=0.002). CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate the complexity of behavioural interventions in reducing the vulnerability of acquiring HIV, since it is possible to observe a broad range of different outcomes. This study indicates the importance of formally evaluating interventions so that policymakers can build on evidence-based approaches to advance the effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01693458.