PrEP programmes as a framework for tackling HBV infection in adolescents and young adults in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
These materials have been presented at the Conference on Liver Disease in Africa (COLDA) 2024, to support the the new Evaluation of Vukuzazi LiVEr disease - Hepatitis B 'EVOLVE-HBV' study based at the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
‘EVOLVE-HBV’ research programme explored the PrEP uptake and retention cascade amongst adolescents and youth aged 15-30-year-olds and living with HBV through decentralized sexual health /HIV services of the ‘Thetha nami ngithethe nawe’ and the Long-acting HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (LAPIS) study.
Specific Aim
Aim: We set out to use data from PrEP studies to determine results of HBV screening, treatment uptake and retention amongst adolescents and young adults aged 15-30 years.
Ethics and governance
This work has been approved under the terms of the EVOLVE-HBV project ethics: University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN) Biomedical Research Ethics Committee (BREC, ref. 00004495/2022) and University College London, UK ethics committee (ref. 23221/001 EVOLVE-HBV).
PrEP HIV studies: (BREC/00000473/2019) and BREC/00003735/2021).