| Publisher Information: |
Division of Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Health Research Intervention Kuthamini Afya Yetu (HEKA), Kenya; An empowered Just and inclusive society (AMKENI) Malindi, Kilifi, Kenya; Health Research Intervention Kuthamini Afya Yetu (HEKA), Kenya; Ishtar, Nairobi, Kenya; Health Research Intervention Kuthamini Afya Yetu (HEKA), Kenya; Kenya Youth Development and Education Support Association (KYDESA), Nakuru, Kenya; Health Research Intervention Kuthamini Afya Yetu (HEKA), Kenya; HIV & AIDS People’s Alliance (HAPA) Kenya, Mombasa, Kenya; Health Research Intervention Kuthamini Afya Yetu (HEKA), Kenya; Health Options for Young Men on HIV/AIDS & STI (HOYMAS), Nairobi, Kenya; Health Research Intervention Kuthamini Afya Yetu (HEKA), Kenya; Q-Initiative, Eldoret, Kenya; Health Research Intervention Kuthamini Afya Yetu (HEKA), Kenya; Men Against AIDS Youth Group (MAAYGO), Kisumu, Kenya; Men Against AIDS Youth Group (MAAYGO), Kisumu, Kenya; MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Global Public Health, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Institute of Global Public Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Partners for Health and Development in Africa, Nairobi, Kenya; MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine and Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Health Research Intervention Kuthamini Afya Yetu (HEKA), Kenya; Ishtar, Nairobi, Kenya; Community Research and Technical Support Hub, Nairobi, Kenya; Umeå University Library |
| Description: |
Community-based organizations (CBOs) are critical in providing trusted and tailored HIV/STI services to gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). Despite significant strides in CBO involvement in HIV/STI research in Kenya, there remain gaps in meaningful engagement and capacity-building, especially quantitative research. We share our experience and lessons learned in developing HEKA (Health Research Intervention Kuthamini Afya Yetu), a community-led research platform where community members are leveraging their routinely collected program data to design research aimed at strengthening HIV/STI programs. HEKA focuses on building capacity and quantitative scientific literacy within CBOs. Guided by the program science framework, an iterative, bi-directional framework linking research and program implementation, our seven CBOs identified areas for quantitative skills development and together with academic partners, established interactive learning activities through a workshop and set a common research agenda for future steps. The collaborative process centered around applying the skills learned to appraise program coverage and its drivers, so as to improve HIV/STI outcomes for the communities we serve. The workshop included introductory sessions on quantitative research methods, data structures, and R programming (an open-access software environment for data management and analysis). We also maintained engagement through a new online group where we have met monthly. Through our experience, we learned that using a co-leadership framework where research direction evolves through shared/delegated leadership between staff from the different organizations and peer-to-peer mentorship was instrumental to our success. However, we encountered some challenges in the process, including sustainability of funding to maintain engagement. Other challenges have included balancing varied learning paces due to diverse staff roles, navigating a volatile socio-political climate with regard to GBMSM issues, and long ... |