Building HIV Vaccine Literacy and Acceptance among communities through training of Tutors

at Kenya Medical Training Institutions.

Joyce Olenja, Sabina Wakasiaka, Gaudensia Mutua, Jacquelyn Nyange, Omu Anzala, Bashir Farah.

Background and context

• KAVI- Kenya AIDS Vaccine Initiative is a research institute based at University of Nairobi

• Well known for vaccine trials since 2001• KAVI in collaboration with Universities of Manitoba

and Toronto received a grant from the GHRI to address HIV vaccine knowledge translation.

• Establishing KAVI as a centre of excellence for HIV vaccine/prevention trials in the East African region

Incorporating Social Science Perspectives

Key Objective----

Build HIV vaccine literacy and enhance community engagement in clinical research

Expected Outcomes

• Improved vaccine literacy among various stakeholders

• Improved advocacy for HIV vaccine research development by policy makers

• Improved community participation in vaccine trials- especially women

• Improved participation by Most At Risk Populations (MARPs)

Background and Context

• HIV Prevalence remains a challenge especially in

Africa region(Kenya 6.3%)

• Expansion in development and advocacy for

prevention measures

• Search for a vaccine bears the highest promise.

• Vaccine literacy among stakeholders as critical

Why Focus on community literacy?

• The importance of understanding the socio- cultural context

• Employing a holistic perspective• Awareness Creation and capacity building

Advocacy for change

• More so for complex research as clinical trials• The need for community participation• The challenges of behaviour change

PrEP

Clean injecting equipment

Cervical barriers: vaginal diaphragms

Prevention of vertical transmission

Voluntary counselling and testing

Treatment as prevention

Male circumcision

PEP

Comprehensive HIV prevention

ARV

Methodology

• Mapping stakeholders with potential influence on vaccine development

Policy makersCommunity leadersHealth service providersCommunity as volunteers and significant

others

• Kenya Medical training college as entry for vaccine literacy training

Trains the largest(90%)of health service providers nationwide

Have geographic spread

Training- The Approach

Sensitization of KMTC

administration.

Letters of Invitation were done by KAVI.

Local agreement between the Institutions

&certification

Regional Training sessions

Nairobi, Coast & Eastern, Western, Rift

Valley

Feed back & on- going

dialogue on inclusion of Vaccines in

the curriculum

Unit PresentationsSkills building activity

Q & A

Training Focus

• Update on HIV Epidemiology • Vaccine basics• Clinical trials basics• Ethical issues in research

- Rights, respect and protection

- Consent

• Community engagement in vaccine trials

-Gender Issues and decision making

-Misconceptions

- Fears and Concerns

Results

• Six trainings conducted between 2010 and 2012: 177 Tutors trained

• Increased knowledge on HIV clinical trials. • Identified role as advocates for vaccine

literacy• Positive feedback from KMTC management• A decision by management to incoporate a

module on vaccines within the training curriculum

Workshop Ratings Nairobi

5%

31%

64%

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Workshop Ratings Mombasa

2%

28%

70%

Percent

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Lessons learnt

• Knowledge translation can be attained using existing structures

• Service providers require an integrated set of clinical and social skills

• Service providers appreciate the importance and relevance of community perspectives in research

Community understanding

The role /place of gender in decision making regarding participation in clinical research

Conclusion

• Tutors pivotal position as trainers of service providers have the potential to cascade vaccine literacy.

• This finding highlights the importance of strategic targeting for support to HIV vaccine development.

• This approach addresses sustainability and efficiency in knowledge translation and is relevant for other programmes