Written by Samanta Lalla-Edward
On 8 May, 2025, iHEART-SA (HLB-SIMPLe’s South Africa project) launched a series of community engagements by presenting preliminary study results to the Community Advisory Board (CAB), underscoring the project’s dedication to community involvement and participatory research. The iHEART-SA team, including some researchers from the US, came together to share early findings on the feasibility and effectiveness of incorporating hypertension care into both routine care and established HIV treatment programs. CAB members, clinic staff, researchers, patients, and a range of community stakeholders—including public health activists and officials—reviewed progress, discussed barriers to integrated care, and collected feedback on the intervention.
Dissemination activities continued the following day results-sharing in study clinics, and these activities are scheduled to run throughout May 2025. The team is leveraging World Hypertension Day events in local clinics to disseminate findings while raising awareness about hypertension, HIV, and related comorbidities. Stakeholders attending these meetings have expressed appreciation for early inclusion in the results-sharing process, reinforcing the value of transparent communication and collaborative decision-making in health research.
