Global WACh

August 16, 2021

Peripartum youth report pilot social media support group is acceptable and useful in supporting mental wellness

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The IMAGINE study team recruited research participants through popular social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram.

After two years, the “Social media support for peripartum adolescents” study, known as the IMAGINE Study, completed its pilot social media-based counseling intervention program for U.S. pregnant and postpartum youth, and offered promising results in supporting participants’ emotional well-being.  The intervention aimed to overcome barriers associated with attending in-person care (i.e. costs, time, stigma) and offered participants evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy virtually to prevent perinatal depression, which can cause negative health consequences for both mother and infant.

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August 3, 2021

Researchers study text messaging to improve retention and viral suppression in prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission programs in Kenya

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Credit: Ivan Samkov/Pexels

Over the years, Global WACh utilized the Mobile WACh mobile health (mHealth) system that allows for both automated sending of tailored health-related short message service (SMS) text messages and two-way SMS interaction between participants and a health care provider in low- to middle-income countries for an array of maternal-child health (MCH) research studies.  The system sends messages through mobile phones, which have the potential to enhance access and reach of crucial health service interventions and to improve health outcomes.

Researchers of the Mobile Strategies for Women’s and Children’s Health: Optimizing Adherence and Efficacy of PMTCT/ART (Mobile WACh X) randomized clinical trial, funded by the National Institute of Health and led by Principal Investigator Grace John-Stewart, adapted Mobile WACh to reach pregnant and postpartum women living with HIV at six MCH clinics in Kenya.  Previous research has shown that interactive SMS can improve early antiretroviral therapy (ART) retention in perinatal women, but it was unknown whether long-term interactive SMS systems can durably improve retention and viral suppression in preventing mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT).
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Global WACh Certificate student Michelle Bulterys leverages global estimates for international forums focused on the health and wellbeing of HIV-exposed-uninfected children

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Before Michelle Bulterys enrolled in the Epidemiology PhD program and the Global WACh Graduate Certificate, she interned with the Strategic Information and Evaluation Department of the Joint United Nations AIDS Programme (UNAIDS) in Geneva, Switzerland, where she learned about the complexities of gathering and validating country-level HIV estimates and synthesizing data into global reports to be used by clinicians, policy makers, and researchers around the world.  She gained strong mentorship from Dr. Mary Mahy, who leads the Epidemiology Team at UNAIDS.  Michelle and Dr. Mahy have continued to collaborate on various projects, including Michelle’s Certificate capstone—a 90-hour project designed for students to gain hands-on experience in the field of global health.
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August 2, 2021

Dr. Erica Lokken receives ‘First Prize Oral Presentation – Young Investigator’ Award at HIV & STI 2021 World Congress

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Dr. Erica Lokken, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Global Health, received the ‘First Prize Oral Presentation – Young Investigator’ Award at the STI & HIV 2021 World Congress for her talk titled, “Vaginal washing behavior and fecundability in Kenyan women planning pregnancies.”

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