Assessment of Awareness, Attitudes and Perceptions of Students on HIV Vaccine Trials at the University of Dar es salaam, Tanzania

This study is aimed at assessing the willingness to participate in the HIV vaccine trials and the associated factors among people who inject drugs (PWIDs) in Tanzania. Information about the willingness to participate and the associated factors was collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires at the medication treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD) clinic in Dar es Salaam. Data analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS Statistic 20. The mean age of respondents was 36.7, and the standard deviation (SD) was ±7.2. The majority of respondents (68%) had primary education, and a high proportion of them were single (61.5%). More than one-third (37.9%) shared needles and syringes. Most (87.3%) had more than three sexual partners, and almost half (51.4%) did not use condoms during sexual intercourse with nonregular partners. About 63% had knowledge of HIV transmission while 27% had heard about HIV vaccine trials. Generally, 76% of the respondents expressed willingness to participate in future HIV vaccine trials regardless of prior knowledge of HIV vaccine trials. Willingness to participate in HIV vaccine trials was not associated with education level, people living with, knowledge about HIV transmission, awareness of HIV vaccine trials, sharing of syringe/needles, and number of sexual partners. Only older age (OR=1.6, 95%CI=1.01, 2.6) and condom use (OR=0.49, 95%CI=0.26, 0.97) showed an association with willingness. However, after performing logistic regression with factors at p value ≤ 0.2 to ascertain the other factors on the effects of age, condom use, education level, and sharing of needles/syringes, the results were not statistically significant. Although participants reported a high willingness to participate in hypothetical HIV vaccine trials, no definitive conclusion can be drawn about the associated factors. Further studies with intensive educational programs are needed to investigate the factors on willingness to participate in actual HIV vaccine trials among PWIDs.

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Post-HIV vaccine trials’ misperception and associated factors among participating communities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Tanzania Journal of Health Research ◽

10.4314/thrb.v21i1.8 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Edith Andrew Mroso Tarimo ◽

Candida Moshiro ◽

Joel Ambikile ◽

Patricia Munseri ◽

Muhammad Bakari ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Phase I ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Vaccine Development ◽

Vaccine Trial ◽

Dar Es Salaam ◽

Hiv Vaccine ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Adjusted Risk ◽

Hiv Vaccine Trials ◽

Vaccine Trials

Background: Despite the successful conduct of three Phase I/II HIV vaccine trials in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, misperception around the trials has been reported. In this study, misperception means incorrect understanding that in Phase I/II HIV vaccine trial, the researchers infected the volunteers with HIV. We describe the magnitude of misperception around HIV vaccine trials and associated factors among participating communities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study that included 605 respondents aged ³18 years from the communities that participated in Phase I/II HIV vaccine trials. These communities comprised of youths, Police and Prison officers. Respondents were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics, HIV knowledge, and responses to HIV vaccine trial related questions. Results: Of the 605 respondents, 156 (26%) had misperception that the researchers infected the volunteers with HIV during the trials, while 58% weren’t sure whether the researchers infected the volunteers with the HIV or not. Awareness about progress in HIV vaccine development (adjusted risk ratio (RR)=1.50; 95% CI=1.11 – 2.04), participation in an HIV vaccine sensitization meeting (adjusted RR=1.50; 95% CI=1.14-1.97) and advanced secondary education (adjusted RR=1.92; 95% CI=1.19 – 3.09) were associated with an increased likelihood of having the misperception that researchers infected the volunteers. Nevertheless, the majority (94.5%) of respondents showed a willingness to know more about ongoing HIV vaccine studies while about 44.3% had reservations of taking part in HIV vaccine trials due to fear of getting HIV from the vaccine. Conclusions: The misperception that researchers infected volunteers with HIV in Phase I/II trial is significant and was associated with respondents’ awareness about HIV vaccine development, participation in sensitization meetings and advanced education. Partial knowledge about HIV vaccine trials was of note. Future HIV vaccine trials should strive to address the knowledge gap.

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Declining HIV-1 prevalence and incidence among Police Officers – a potential cohort for HIV vaccine trials, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/1471-2458-13-722 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Patricia J Munseri ◽

Muhammad Bakari ◽

Mohamed Janabi ◽

Eric Aris ◽

Said Aboud ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Police Officers ◽

Dar Es Salaam ◽

Hiv Vaccine ◽

Hiv Vaccine Trials ◽

Vaccine Trials ◽

Hiv 1

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The prevalence and incidence of HIV-1 infection and syphilis in a cohort of police officers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: a potential population for HIV vaccine trials

AIDS ◽

10.1097/00002030-200002180-00014 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 313-320 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Mohamed Bakari ◽

Eligius Lyamuya ◽

Ferdinand Mugusi ◽

Eric Aris ◽

Stella Chale ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Police Officers ◽

Dar Es Salaam ◽

Hiv Vaccine ◽

Hiv Vaccine Trials ◽

Vaccine Trials ◽

Potential Population ◽

Hiv 1

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Developing countries to decide on HIV vaccine trials

Inpharma Weekly ◽

10.2165/00128413-199409610-00005 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol &NA; (961) ◽

pp. 5 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

&NA;

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Hiv Vaccine ◽

Hiv Vaccine Trials ◽

Vaccine Trials

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A qualitative assessment of perspectives on the inclusion of adolescents in HIV vaccine trials in South Africa

International Journal of STD & AIDS ◽

10.1258/ijsa.2009.008484 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 172-176 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

H B Jaspan ◽

N F Soka ◽

C Mathews ◽

A J Flisher ◽

D Mark ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Hiv Vaccine ◽

Qualitative Assessment ◽

Hiv Vaccine Trials ◽

Vaccine Trials

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Willingness to participate in HIV vaccine research in a peri-urban South African community

International Journal of STD & AIDS ◽

10.1258/095646206775809259 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

pp. 176-179 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

J Smit ◽

K Middelkoop ◽

L Myer ◽

S Seedat ◽

L-G Bekker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South African ◽

Hiv Vaccine ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Willingness To Participate ◽

Vaccine Research ◽

Substantial Impact ◽

Hiv Vaccine Trials ◽

Vaccine Trials ◽

Urban South ◽

African Community

Research on willingness to participate in HIV vaccine trials is important in preparations for HIV vaccine research, but there are few data from sub-Saharan Africa. We interviewed 198 individuals in a peri-urban South African community immediately after enrolment into an HIV vaccine preparedness study on their willingness to participate in hypothetical vaccine trials. Overall 23% of participants ( n = 46) said that they would be willing to participate in an HIV vaccine trial. Willingness was associated with increasing age, male gender, and increasing knowledge about vaccines generally and HIV vaccines specifically. In multivariate analysis, a 1-unit increase in HIV vaccine knowledge score was associated with a 10-fold increase in willingness to participate (adjusted odds ratio, 10.72, 95% confidence intervals: 4.40–26.12). These results suggest that while willingness to participate in HIV vaccine trials is relatively low in this setting, educational campaigns may have a substantial impact on individuals' willingness to participate in research.

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