Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) awarded a $711,834 Project Grant (CFDA 93.242: Mental Health Research Grants) to The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco, effective July 15, 2026, through June 30, 2031. This award supports comparative evaluation and scale-up strategies for an evidence-based social network intervention ("OWETE") combined with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) self-testing and linkage services targeting highly mobile men, specifically fishermen in Lake Victoria, Kenya. The intervention addresses critical gaps in HIV testing, prevention, and treatment engagement among men in sub-Saharan Africa, who demonstrate lower uptake of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) compared to women. The prior OWETE intervention demonstrated significant efficacy, increasing HIV self-testing from 10% to 60% in intervention network clusters and substantially improving linkage to care among the target population.

The research deliverables include comparative evaluation of scale-up strategies for the social network-based, HIV status-neutral intervention within the highly mobile fishermen population. The project addresses documented barriers to HIV service engagement including limited clinic accessibility during standard hours, HIV-related stigma, and gender norms that discourage healthcare-seeking behavior among men. By combining evidence-based social network strategies with accessible HIV self-testing and linkage pathways, the research will generate implementation science data and operational models applicable to scaling HIV prevention and treatment interventions in resource-limited settings with high-mobility populations.