Posting at the Makerere University and Johns Hopkins University HIV Clinical Trials Unit in Kampala, Uganda

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Investigator: Jaco Homsy, MD, MPH
Sponsor: Johns Hopkins University

Location(s): Uganda

Description

Dr. Jaco Homsy has been the Academic Coordinator of the Prevention and Public Health Group since 2004, working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Uganda, East Africa, in helping with the establishment of family-based comprehensive HIV care services within government health facilities. His posting at the HIV Clinical Trials Unit in Kampala, Uganda has facilitated research in the Interactions Between HIV and Malaria in African Children (The Tororo Children Cohort).

This is a prospective cohort study where HIV-infected and uninfected children will be enrolled between 6 weeks and 9 months of age and followed to the age of 21 months. All HIV-infected children will be given trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) prophylaxis as of 6 weeks of age. HIV-uninfected children born to HIV-infected mothers will be given TMP/SMX prophylaxis for the duration of breastfeeding and then randomized to the continuation of TMP/SMX or discontinuation of TMP/SMX prophylaxis. HIV-uninfected children born to HIV-uninfected mothers will not be given TMP/SMX prophylaxis. Study participants will be followed for all of their health care needs in a designated study clinic. All mother-child pairs will receive a basic care package including insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs) at enrollment. All HIV-infected mothers and children will receive antiretroviral therapy if eligible according to standardized World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Study participants 4 months of age or older and at least 5 kg will be randomized to treatment with artemether-lumefantrine (AL) or dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) at the time of their first diagnosis of uncomplicated malaria. Study participants will receive the same antimalarial treatment regimen for all future episodes of uncomplicated malaria. Study participants less than 4 months of age or less than 5 kg diagnosed with malaria and all episodes of complicated malaria will be treated with quinine in accordance with local guidelines.