The RESPOND project, a collaboration between Partners in Hope, the Ministry of Health and National AIDS Commission, aims to identify low cost and reliable methods for identifying priority facilities and communities for targeted HIV interventions to improve outcomes across Malawi. The project combines geospatial mapping of HIV prevalence and viremia with community perceptions, using human-centered design to co-create tailored service packages and engage end-users at all stages of the study.

Additional Elements for RESPOND

1. Visual Elements 

o Project logo or icon- this is upcoming, we don’t have it yet.

o Photos from activities- we have hundreds of photos from community workshops and national workshops. I will pull a few of these out and send to you on a separate email.

2. Quick Facts Section 

o Number of participating facilities/districts- Stage 1: Geographic mapping of prevalence and viremia: All facilities in Malawi, stage 2: deep dives below facility level: 15 facilities in 7 districts, stage 3: community archetyping: TBD.

o Study duration- 4 years December 2023-November 2027

o Primary outputs- tools for identifying priority areas and targeting services

3. Why This Matters 

o Brief statement on the public health significance- 

- Increasing funding constraints in a low-resource setting like Malawi mean that optimization of resources is more important than ever. The health system requires precise targeting efforts to sustain gains made towards 95, 95, 95 goals. RESPOND equips health system decision makers with tools for using data to drive decisions and optimize resources.

o Connection to national health priorities- 

- RESPOND directly addresses national health priorities. MOH aims to have stronger data-driven planning and resource allocation, community engagement, and integrated, person-centered services. NAC strategic plan focuses on reaching 95-95-95, targeted prevention/testing, key & priority populations, person-centered models and efficient resource use.

o Potential impact on policy or practice- 

- Low cost, reliable and replicable methods for the Ministry of Health to use to identify where they should target resources to provide quality services precisely where needed and maximize impact and efficiencies.

4. Project Status 

o Current phase (enrollment, data collection, etc.): Active, enrolling

5. Contact Information 

o Study coordinator details: Isabella Robson

o Email and phone contacts: IRobson@mednet.ucla.edu or isabella@pihmalawi.com

o How to learn more or get involved: Visit the RESPOND Project website at: TBD