Kenya-Uganda Trial Cuts New HIV Cases by 70%

In 16 remote communities across Kenya and Uganda, a simple but powerful approach just reduced new HIV cases by 70%, offering a proven roadmap for ending the epidemic worldwide.

The trial involved 84,000 adults in rural areas where reaching people with healthcare has always been challenging. Half received a new three-part intervention while the other half continued with standard HIV prevention and care.

Here's what made the difference. Government-employed community health workers went door to door offering HIV tests at home. They connected people who tested positive to local clinics for treatment and linked those at risk to prevention medications like PrEP.

Local health clinic staff received training to deliver personalized, compassionate care that respected each person's choices and preferences. A smartphone app helped community workers stay connected with clinicians and medical records, making follow-up easier and allowing prevention medications to be delivered right in the community.

After two years, only 7 out of 42,000 people in intervention communities acquired HIV compared to 22 out of 42,000 in standard care communities. The 70% reduction held true across both countries, all age groups, and both men and women.

The Ripple Effect

The trial proved that four times more people used HIV prevention medications when care came to them instead of waiting for them to seek it out. Meanwhile, both groups maintained high rates of HIV treatment and viral suppression among people already diagnosed.

What makes this particularly exciting is that it used medications, tests, and technology already available in both countries. Most community health workers had never used a smartphone or delivered HIV services before, yet they and their clients found the approach easy to implement.

The model addresses a crucial gap. Despite safe and highly effective HIV medications existing today, 30,000 Americans and 1.3 million people globally still acquire HIV each year simply because healthcare systems struggle to reach them.

The Sustainable East Africa Research in Community Health consortium designed this intervention to work within existing healthcare infrastructure. That means it can be replicated in other countries, including the United States, without requiring entirely new systems or unavailable resources.

This success shows that ending the HIV epidemic isn't about waiting for new medical breakthroughs. The tools already exist, and meeting people where they are makes all the difference.