Entries by Lynn Van Lith | Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, HIV/AIDS Sr. Technical Advisor

Engaging Communities to End HIV: Reaching Swaziland’s Adolescent Girls and Young Women

Swaziland’s young, married women are a priority population to reach in order to end new HIV infections, given that the country has a generalized HIV epidemic. Swaziland has the highest HIV prevalence in the world, estimated at 26% among adults 15-49 and 31% among adults 18-49. Among young women, HIV prevalence ranges from 31% (women […]

Improving Outcomes for Men Along the HIV Treatment Continuum

A significant number of men do not seek or have access to HIV testing and counseling (HTC) or treatment in sub-Saharan Africa. Several studies have shown that women have higher rates of testing, engagement in pre-ART care, earlier treatment initiation, and are more likely to stay on treatment.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Men continue […]

HC3 Lit Review: More Research Needed on Meeting the Needs of Adolescent Boys Seeking VMMC Services

Voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) is a highly effective intervention for curbing the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Since the inception of VMMC programs, a disproportionately high volume of adolescents ages 10-19 have received VMMC across the priority countries in east and southern Africa. Questions remain, however, related to whether these adolescents are adequately served […]

This World AIDS Day, Do More – and Do it Better

World AIDS Day requires us to take stock of our collective achievements in addressing HIV, while also challenging ourselves to do more and to do it better. As PEPFAR, UNAIDS and other global development bodies continue to urge a greater focus on geographic prioritization, a focus on reaching those most marginalized remains essential. Stigma and […]

Meeting 90-90-90 HIV Goals Requires SBCC To Boost Treatment Initiation

A panel discussion held at Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs with guest speakers including Shanti Conly (USAID), Kim Seifert-Ahanda (USAID) and Chris Hoffman (Johns Hopkins School of Medicine) addressed health communication’s meaningful role across the HIV treatment spectrum.

Health Communication and the HIV Continuum of Care

Health communication plays an important role in promoting HIV testing, encouraging engagement in care, initiating treatment, and supporting retention in care with the ultimate goal of viral suppression. While the expansion of viral load testing is recommended and improvements in efficiencies at the facility level are necessary, the power of in-service communication and counseling at […]

What are the Best Ways to Measure Health Communication Outcomes?

Researchers and program planners alike often ask themselves: what are the best ways to measure health communication outcomes? Research design and measurement are critical to assessing behavioral outcomes in the realm of HIV and AIDS. To further capture the evidence and demonstrate how health communication may have the biggest impact on HIV prevention, care and […]

HC3 Undertakes an Evidence Review to Show SBCC’s Impact on HIV Prevention

The Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (HC3) has convened a global expert consultation this week in Baltimore to review a synthesis of evidence that demonstrates the impact of social and behavior change communication (SBCC) on HIV prevention outcomes. This first-of-its-kind review brings together experts representing biomedical and behavioral perspectives from USAID, CDC, academia, the developing world […]

Community Engagement is Essential for Successful Combination Prevention

The 17th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa is now fully underway in Cape Town, South Africa. With a theme focused on targeting zero new infections, much remains to be done to stem the global HIV epidemic. Two sessions on Sunday, Dec. 8 focused on eliminating new infections among HIV-exposed infants while keeping […]

Global HIV Consultation Concludes with Commitment to Bolstering Evidence

Through the benefit of diverse perspectives, participants at the HIV Expert Consultation were determined and driven to move the field of health communication (HC) and HIV prevention forward. With an agenda running ahead of schedule and the option to wrap up early, participants demonstrated their commitment by taking advantage of the extra time to delve […]

Stimulating Demand for VMMC in East and Southern Africa

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation sponsored an Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Meeting April 3-5, 2013, on Demand Creation for Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) in Lusaka, Zambia. Ministry of Health officials, donors, and program implementers from the 14 focus countries in east and southern Africa came together to share lessons learned and discuss […]