In a new series of briefs, Council researchers highlight key results, recommendations, and examples of research impact from Project SOAR, a collaborative 6-year, 21-country implementation science initiative funded by USAID to generate critical evidence to improve HIV prevention, care, and treatment policies and programs worldwide. The Council-led Project SOAR consists of over 70 activities undertaken in collaboration with Avenir Health, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Johns Hopkins University, Palladium, and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“Our primary objective in synthesizing findings across Project SOAR’s expansive portfolio is to support evidence-based HIV programming and policies,” explained SOAR Director and Council Senior Associate and Country Strategy Director, Scott Geibel. “By linking implementation science methods with practical applications, our research continues to inform approaches to advance UNAIDS’ global 95-95-95 testing and treatment goals.”
Each brief features a research impact spotlight, highlighting ways in which SOAR-generated evidence and data have been utilized by HIV stakeholders, including Ministries of Health. In Senegal, the government incorporated HIV self-testing into its national guidelines once informed by a SOAR study that demonstrated the acceptability and effectiveness of this approach. Ministries in Uganda and Eswatini utilized SOAR modelling results to target their roll out of pre-exposure prophylaxis, enhancing access for key populations with the aim of reducing new HIV infections.