Overview

The ReMIT project, a collaboration between Partners in Hope, UCLA, and the Ministry of Health, tackles mobility-associated interruption in HIV treatment—the leading cause of treatment interruption in Malawi. The study pilots a co-created intervention package designed with clients, healthcare workers, and stakeholders to support mobile people living with HIV. The project combines enhanced counseling, a toll-free support hotline, and healthcare worker training on multi-month dispensing to assess acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of interventions that help mobile clients maintain continuous HIV care.

Quick Facts

Participating facilities and districts:

The trial is in 3 PIH supported districts of Karonga, Lilongwe and Nsanje at 6 health facilities

Project Reach

Enrollment of 480 clients in total 

Primary Outcome

Retention in care at 6 months

Why This Matters

Public health significance: Interruptions in HIV treatment (IIT) undermine epidemic control in Southern & Eastern Africa by causing viremia, reduced immune function, and increased transmission risk. With only 59-66% of adults virally suppressed in the region, and mobility cited as the primary reason for treatment interruption by 33-56% of affected clients, addressing mobility-related barriers to continuous ART access is critical for achieving sustained viral suppression and preventing onward HIV transmission. ​

National health priorities: This intervention directly supports Malawi's HIV epidemic control goals by targeting a key driver of treatment failure—temporary mobility. By reducing IIT among mobile populations, the study addresses gaps in the HIV care cascade and aligns with national efforts to improve viral suppresson rates and retain all people living withHIC in continuos care, which are essential to achieving UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets

Potential impact on policy or practice: If proven effective, this low-cost intervention package— comprising tailored counseling, a toll-free hotline, and enhanced multi-month dispensing—offers a scalable, Ministry of Health-friendly solution for nationwide implementation. The intervention can be integrated into existing ART services with minimal infrastructure changes, providing evidence-based strategies to improve retention among mobile clients and inform national service delivery guidelines for differentiated care models

Contact Information

Eric Lungu – Project Coordinator

E-mail: eric@pihmalawi.com

Contact the PI- Dr. Marguerite Thorp (mthorp@mednet.ucla.edu) or Eric to learn more or get involved.