Academic network for sexual and reproductive health and rights policy (ANSER)

Ghent University established an Academic Network for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Policy that aims to become a global resource for SRHR policy research, education and service delivery by establishing an international platform for research on SRHR policy related topics; by developing a portfolio of education and training programmes on SRHR policy; and by fostering interaction between SRHR researchers and policy makers.

Institutional University Cooperation with University Eduardo Mondlane

In the context of the University Development Cooperation, the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM), Mozambique, was selected as a partner institution of the VLIR-UDC-programme ‘Institutional University Cooperation’. The implementation of the Partner Programme with UEM (2008-2013) is coordinated by professor Marleen Temmerman. The programme is being implemented inter-university and has as central theme ‘Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS’. It comprises, in this first phase, 8 projects. Five projects address a sub-theme of the central theme and 3 projects will strengthen capacity in specific areas.

HIV prevention interventions targeting sex workers and their clients in Kenya (BORESHA)

Overall objective: To develop a multi-level HIV risk-reduction intervention targeting sex workers and their clients at entertainment venues (bars/night clubs) in Mombasa, Kenya and test its feasibility and acceptability, as well as the feasibility of an intervention evaluation design to be used in a future larger study.

Diagonal Interventions to Fast Forward Enhanced Reproductive Health (DIFFER)

The DIFFER project aims at improving access to sexual and reproductive health for the most vulnerable by a better linkage between interventions targeted at most-at-risk populations, in particular female sex workers, and the general reproductive health services. It will be implemented at four sites in Kenya (Mombasa), Mozambique (Tete), South Africa (Durban) and India (Mysore).

ELIMIKA - Adolescents and youth taking control of their HIV treatment issues, the case of Mombasa, Kenya

Globally, over 2.1 million adolescents aged 10–19 and 5 million young people aged 15–24 are living with HIV. As a result of greater availability of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, many infants born with HIV can now survive into adolescence.

Improved Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Services for Most at Risk Populations in Tete, Mozambique (Tete-MARP)

The Tete-MARP project aims at improving HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) among female sex workers (FSW) in the Tete-Moatize area in Mozambique. The project uses an HIV combination prevention approach, combining behavioural, biological and structural interventions, integrates HIV services with services for other SRHR topics and targets male clients of FSW for behaviour change.

Biomarkers - EDCTP

The Biomarkers Study, short for “Characterisation of Novel Microbicide Safety Biomarkers in East and South Africa”, was initiated with the overall aim of establishing baseline ranges of biomarkers related to the vaginal environment in African target populations for microbicide trials.

University of Western Cape collaboration

Modelling the impact of microbicides on HIV incidence and HIV prevalence

The overall objective of this project is to develop and apply dynamic epidemiological microsimulation models to assess the expected impact of microbicides on HIV incidence and HIV prevalence. These models will be applied in a population of female sex workers and their clients in Mombasa, Kenya. The expected impact of microbicides on HIV incidence and HIV prevalence is a function of the intrinsic efficacy of the modeled microbicide and the behavioral, demographical and epidemiological dynamics of the population in which the microbicides are introduced.

Integrated Network Combating HIV/AIDS in Tete - Phase 2

Main objective: The capacity of the Tete Provincial Health Department to provide quality HIV/AIDS/STI services is strengthened

Preparing for Phase III vaginal microbicide trials in Rwanda and Kenya

The study prepares two sites (in Kigali and Mombasa) for Phase I, II and III clinical microbicide trials.

Effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions for young people in sub-Sahara Africa

To introduce HIV education on larger scale, it is necessary to know which programmes are effective in reducing sexual risk behavior in young people and which programmes generate only few results. A large problem in evaluating programs is that sexual behavior cannot be observed directly and that it is influenced by a large variety of determinants. The main objectives of this project are to development a theoretical model of the determinants of sexual risk behavious and to assess the utility and effectiveness of this model in HIV prevention programmes among children and youth in Rwanda.