Use of Unmanned Air Vehicles (Medical Drones) to Overcome Geographical Barriers to Delivery of Anti-Retroviral Therapy and Biological Samples

Launched by MAKERERE UNIVERSITY · Nov 5, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring whether using medical drones to deliver anti-retroviral therapy (ART) can help people living with HIV in the Kalangala District of Uganda better manage their condition. The main goal is to see if drone delivery can improve viral suppression, which means reducing the amount of HIV in the blood to undetectable levels. Participants receiving drone-delivered medications will be compared to those who receive standard care to determine if this innovative method makes a difference in their health outcomes over 12 months.

To participate, individuals must be adults or emancipated minors (ages 15-17) living with HIV and currently receiving ART in the Kalangala District. They should be willing to stay in the study for 24 months and share their HIV status with a healthcare worker. Throughout the trial, participants will be seen every six months for check-ups, including blood tests to monitor their viral load and surveys to gather more information about their experiences. This study aims to improve healthcare delivery in underserved areas and could potentially change how medications are provided in similar communities.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Adult (\>18 years) living with HIV
• • Emancipated minor (15-17 years) who is living with HIV
• • Receiving antiretroviral therapy in Kalangala District
• • Be a resident in Kalangala district for at least the preceding 6-12 months
• • Willing to stay for a minimum next 24 months
• • Willing to disclose HIV status to an expert peer or village health team member.
• • Willing to join discentralised Service Delivery model groups
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Potential participants below 15 years with care providers not receiving care from DSD.
• • No active opportunistic infection (including but not limited to TB) in health centre records or self-report or suspected by the study team at enrolment (will be referred back to health facility for investigations and can be enrolled if no infection confirmed).
• • Patients with mental illness or any other medical condition that compromises decision making process (as determined by medical records at facility and direct questioning to participant)
• • Any other clinical condition that, in the opinion of the site investigator, would make the participant unsuitable for the study or unable to comply with dosing requirements.
• • For stage three, participants residing in areas that took part in stage 2 drone delivery eg Bufumira island