HIV incidence was reduced by 70% in rural Kenya and Uganda in an NIH-supported trial

An NIH-funded trial pairing digital tools with community health workers and tailored HIV services reported a 70% reduction in new HIV cases over two years in rural Kenya and Uganda.

An NIH-funded trial reported a 70% reduction in new HIV cases in rural communities in Kenya and Uganda after two years. The study was run by the SEARCH consortium and the findings were presented at CROI 2026. Investigators tested a three-part intervention delivered by existing community health workers and local clinicians using medications, tests, and a ministry-compatible mobile app. The trial compared paired intervention and control communities and measured outcomes among adults aged 15 years and older. Key facts: - The trial included 16 remote, rural communities (eight in Kenya and eight in Uganda) and ran over a two-year period beginning in 2023. - The three-part intervention combined home visits by government-employed community health workers offering HIV testing and referrals; training for local health center providers to deliver personalized prevention and care; and enhanced use of a ministry-compatible app linking community workers with clinicians and health records. - After two years, 7 of about 42,000 people in intervention communities and 22 of about 42,000 in control communities had recently acquired HIV, reported as a 70% reduction in incidence. - Recent use of biomedical prevention (PrEP or PEP) in the prior six months rose from 0.41% in control communities to 1.67% in intervention communities, a reported four-fold increase. - Investigators found high levels of HIV diagnosis, antiretroviral therapy (ART) use, and viral suppression in both groups, and most community health workers, providers, and participants reported the intervention was easy to implement despite limited prior smartphone experience. Summary: The intervention was associated with a substantial decrease in new HIV cases and higher uptake of PrEP/PEP while treatment and viral suppression remained high. Investigators presented these results as an example of using existing health infrastructure and digital tools to link people to prevention and care. Undetermined at this time.