MAP-IT Champions Research Breakthroughs at HLB-SIMPLe Conference in Gaborone
In a significant milestone towards integrating HIV and non-communicable disease management, leading researchers convened at the 2024 HLB-SIMPLe Annual Conference in Gaborone, Botswana, to share cutting-edge findings and advance the field.
The MAP-IT team, led by Associate Professor Dike Ojji of University of Abuja, presented notable updates on their trials, showcasing impressive research outcomes and stakeholder engagement.
The conference facilitated knowledge sharing, networking, and mentorship, setting the stage for future collaborations and innovations in addressing the comorbidities of HIV and non-communicable diseases in Africa.
According to Ojji, “Part of the objectives of the meeting were for sites to share their updates, mentees to present some of the small research projects they were working on, and for people to network among themselves.”
He affirmed that all of these objectives were achieved, as the group he led, MAP-IT team, comprising the University of Abuja, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Akwa Ibom State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (AKSPHCDA), and other collaborators, “had more research results, compared to that of the other sites, especially in terms of number of publications, and engagement with stakeholders and policymakers, and being able to expose trainees and young researchers to presenting on a large stage.”
The director of the University of Abuja Institute for Advanced Medical Research and Training noted that the University team, for instance, presented two NIH-NHLBi Short Research Projects (SRP) from early career Investigators, one science communications project and two poster presentations on various topics of the Hypertension and HIV.
Other groups in the team presented their studies including communications campaign to reduce HIV/hypertension stigma in Akwa Ibom State; integrating diabetes, hypertension, and HIV care in primary healthcare centres in Nigeria; perception of hypertension in rural communities of Akwa Ibom State, Southern Nigeria, a qualitative study.
