The BSSR project was designed to strengthen social behavioural science research capacity to address evolving challenges in HIV care and prevention in Uganda. The project adopted the HIV care continuum framework. The framework models HIV care as consisting of five main stages: HIV testing and diagnosis, linkage to care, engagement/retention in care, ART initiation and adherence, and viral suppression. Engagement in all stages of HIV care is vital to the health of PLHIV. While the continuum of care framework suggests a linear and unidirectional flow through the various stages, in reality progression through the different stages is unlikely to be linear. There is evidence that shows that PLHIV engage and disengage in HIV care throughout the different stages of the continuum. The social and behavioural factors underlying the engagement and disengagement from care are complex, multiple and occur at different levels. More in the attachments below.

The Makerere University Data Science Research Training Program to Strengthen Evidence-Based Health Innovation, Intervention, and Policy (MakDARTA) is a collaborative effort of multiple principal Investigators from Makerere University, Uganda and Johns Hopkins University, (JHU) USA.

MakDARTA now seeks to recruit TWO (2) qualified Ugandan for Ph.D. doctoral training in Health Data Science. The scholar will be hosted at Makerere University College of Health Sciences. The scholar will also undertake sponsored didactic data science methods training at JHU, USA to receive additional skills development and mentoring in data science health research.

The PhD fellowship support is for a three-year period (full-time) with annual renewal subject to performance and progress. Successful applicants will be expected to enroll onto the PhD in Bioinformatics (PBIO) program at Makerere University.