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Not yet recruiting NCT07581600

ComBaCaL HIV Prevention TwiCs

No phase Interventional Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

For patients and families

In plain language

An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.

What is being studied
The protocol lists: CoPrev model, Referral to the nearest responsible health facility.
Who it may be relevant to
Registry conditions: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Basic parameters: from 15 years · All.
What needs checking
Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
Where it takes place
Lesotho, Switzerland
Next step
Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →

Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →

Official title

Community-based, Village Health Worker-led, eHealth-supported, Integrated HIV Prevention for People at Substantial Risk of HIV Acquisition in Rural Lesotho: Protocol for a Cluster-randomized Hybrid Type 1 effectiveness-implementation Trial Within the ComBaCaL Cohort Study

Overview

This cluster-randomized intervention is embedded in the ComBaCaL (Community-Based Chronic disease care Lesotho) cohort study (EKNZ ID AO\_2022-00058, clinicaltrials.gov ID NCT05596773, Lesotho NH-REC ID 210-2022), a platform for the investigation of chronic diseases and their management in rural Lesotho that is maintained by local lay chronic care village health workers (CC-VHWs). This study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the CoPrev model in regard to biomedical HIV prevention utilization compared with an enhanced standard of care, in which VHWs assisted by a tablet-based CDS application, perform the same activities except for the prescription and/or delivery of PEP, oral PrEP, COC and self-injectable contraception. Additionally, this study aims to assess the outcomes and processes related to the implementation of such a model.

Detailed description

Approximately 1.3 million new HIV infections were reported worldwide in 2024. Eastern and Southern Africa continue to bear the largest share of the HIV-related burden. To prevent lingering epidemics in these low-resource, high-prevalence regions, it is essential to intensify HIV prevention efforts, including the scale-up of effective biomedical HIV prevention, such as Pre-Exposure (PrEP) and Post- Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP). However, uptake, persistent use and adherence to biomedical HIV prevention remains low among individuals at substantial risk of HIV acquisition, especially in rural areas. Thus, there is an urgent need for scalable, integrated, cost-effective, and context-specific service delivery models that increase the utilization of biomedical HIV prevention among populations at increased risk in Southern Africa.

This cluster-randomized intervention is embedded in the ComBaCaL (Community-Based Chronic disease care Lesotho) cohort study (EKNZ ID AO\_2022-00058, clinicaltrials.gov ID NCT05596773, Lesotho NH-REC ID 210-2022), a platform for the investigation of chronic diseases and their management in rural Lesotho that is maintained by local lay chronic care village health workers (CC-VHWs).

The ComBaCaL HIV Preven7on (CoPrev) model is a differen7ated, community-based preven7on model, that provides eligible individuals with an alterna7ve to facility-based HIV preven7on and contracep7on. It builds on the broader ComBaCaL model of care, which extends the role of VHWs beyond educa7on, counselling, screening, and referral, to include ac7ve management of preven7on and care services for selected condi7ons. This is enabled through a tablet-based CDS applica7on, allowing VHWs to independently prescribe and deliver selected medica7ons at community level.

Within the CoPrev model, VHWs, assisted by the CDS application, deliver an integrated HIV prevention package comprising HIV prevention education and counselling; HIV and HIV risk screening; condom provision; referral to health facilities, and the prescription and delivery of PEP (TDF/3TC/DTG) and oral PrEP (TDF/3TC) to those eligible. In addition, VHWs provide contraceptive services, including family planning education and counselling; pregnancy screening; referral to health facilities; and the delivery of refills of combined oral contraception (COC) and self-injectable contraception to those eligible.

Interventions

  • Other CoPrev model
    * prescribe and deliver drugs for biomedical HIV prevenTion (PEP (TDF/3TC/DTG 300mg/300mg/50mg) or oral PrEP (TDF/3TC 300mg/300mg)) * offer refills for contraception (EE/LNG 30mcg/15mcg or 50mcg/15mcg) or self-injectable contraception (s.c. 104mg/0.65ml medroxypregosteronacetate * monitoring for all dispensed drug regimens
  • Other Referral to the nearest responsible health facility
    * refer participants eligible for biomedical HIV prevention to the nearest health facility * offer family planning education, pregnancy screening, and refer participants for contraception.

Primary outcome measures

  • Monthly biomedical HIV prevention coverage over 6 months after enrolment [Time frame: Single assessment visit scheduled approximately six months after enrolment (180 days)]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

  • Participant of the ComBaCaL cohort study (signed informed consent available)
  • Weight ≥ 35 kg
  • Negative HIV screening test
  • No potential exposure to HIV more than 72 hours ago (PEP eligibility window period) and less than 4 weeks ago (window period HIV test)
  • At substantial risk of HIV acquisition as per behavioural risk factors in the Lesotho's national HIV prevention and treatment guidelines:
  • Report of serodiscordant partner who are not virally suppressed or have an unknown viral suppression status (either not on ART, initiated ART within the last 6 months, known virally unsuppressed or unknown virally suppression status but believed not to be taking treatment regularly)
  • Report of sexual partner with unknown HIV status
  • Report of unprotected sex with more than one partner in the last 6 months
  • Report of STI by lab-testing or self-report of STI syndromic management in the last 6 months
  • Report of exchanging money/goods for sex in the last 6 months (as recipient and vice versa)
  • Report of intravenous drug use with shared equipment in the last 6 months
  • Request for biomedical HIV prevention

Exclusion criteria

  • Known allergies to PEP/oral PrEP
  • Known glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < 60 ml/min or diagnosis of moderate/severe kidney disease or kidney failure

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: Yes

Study design

Allocation
Randomized
Model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Open label
Primary purpose
Health services research

Study locations

Lesotho · 1 center
  • SolidarMed Lesotho — Maseru
Switzerland · 1 center
  • University of Basel, Division of Clinical Epidemiology — Basel

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07581600 · ub26Labhardt2

Primary sources (government registries)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗