Monday, October 31, 2022
NCI Grants Awarded to IHV to Prevent Cancer and Improve Screening in Sub-Saharan Africa
Institute of Human Virology (IHV) researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) have received two five-year awards from the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute (NCI) for a total of $7.5 million. One award aims to reduce the incidence of lung cancer and other cancers associated with using tobacco in Botswana. The other is focusing on improving screening and treatment of anal precancer in Nigeria. Both grants will make use of existing HIV treatment and prevention infrastructure in low- and middle-income countries to reach people living with HIV who are most at risk for these particular types of cancers.
Wednesday, June 01, 2022
UMB supports MoH in task-shifting COVID-19 testing
To expand access to COVID-19 testing to rural and hard-to-reach areas, the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Malawi decentralized testing from laboratories using conventional molecular platforms. The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) – Ciheb Malawi AMPLIFY program trained laboratory personnel in peripheral facilities in using rapid antigen testing that can be performed by non-laboratory staff. The MOH started using COVID-19 rapid antigen testing in November 2021 and has continued expanding this service to new testing sites.
Tuesday, May 03, 2022
Combating Gender-based Violence in Zambia
Across three districts, 110 mentors were trained through CIHEB-Zambia’s partnership with the Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe (DREAMS).
Tuesday, May 03, 2022
Training on Data Use for HIV Program Management in Nigeria
To build the capacity of the UMB Surge staff to better perform their roles – presenting data with enhanced clarity for decision-making – the Center for International Health, Education, and Biosecurity (Ciheb) Nigeria conducted a 5-day training workshop from March 14 to 18 in Lagos, Nigeria.
Friday, April 29, 2022
CONNECT Program Targets Cervical Cancer
Women living with HIV are at a much higher risk of contracting cervical cancer, which progresses much faster in HIV-positive people due to their compromised immune status.
Tuesday, April 05, 2022
UMB support to improve TB detection in Mozambique
Tuberculosis (TB) remains the leading cause of death for patients with HIV. An estimated 56% of patients with TB in Mozambique also have HIV, and the country has one of the world’s lowest TB case detection rates at only 37% – a dangerous combination. UMB has been guiding the Nampula TB Reference Lab (NTRL) – one of the three TB reference labs in Mozambique – through strategies and interventions to decrease TB culture contamination rates which affects the sensitivity of TB detection.
Monday, March 21, 2022
US government donates BIAS V survey equipment to Botswana government
The Maryland Global Initiatives Cooperation (MGIC) and Botswana-University of Maryland School of Medicine Health Initiative (Bummhi) held a handover event for equipment used in the Fifth Botswana AIDS Impact Survey (BAIS V) on March 8, 2022 in Gaborone. BAIS V was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and implemented by MGIC-BW.
Tuesday, March 08, 2022
Lagos State NAIIS Technical Report Handover
Upon completion of the NAIIS survey, a comprehensive National Technical Report on NAIIS was presented to the Government of Nigeria in September 2020, and recently in February 2022, the Lagos state NAIIS Technical Report was handed over to the Lagos State government and to CDC Nigeria.
Tuesday, March 08, 2022
Kenya eMentorship Tool Improves Service Delivery
How completely and consistently services are delivered is a key component in how successfully facilities provide support to people living with HIV. Working together, the program team responsible for providing TA and the HI team established the system requirements and set about developing the eMentorship tool.
Tuesday, March 08, 2022
New CDC Data Reveals Tremendous Impact
Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Global HIV and TB released its 2021 Annual Program Results, presenting an array of impressive data that demonstrate the agency’s impact in fighting infectious diseases. The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), the institution in which Ciheb was founded, began PEPFAR-related work in 2004, and is a proud CDC partner. The 2021 APR numbers are a great reminder of this important work’s impact.