Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39841994›Full record

ArticleJMIR research protocols2025

Harnessing Big Heterogeneous Data to Evaluate the Potential Impact of HIV Responses Among Key Populations in Sub-Saharan Africa: Protocol for the Boloka Data Repository Initiative.

Refilwe Nancy Phaswana Mafuya, Edith Phalane, Amrita Rao, Kalai Willis, Katherine Rucinski, K Alida Voet, Amal Abdulrahman, Claris Siyamayambo, Betty Sebati, Mohlago Seloka and 13 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in JMIR research protocols, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

23 authors.

Refilwe Nancy Phaswana MafuyaSouth African Medical Research Council/University of Johannesburg Pan African Centre for Epidemics Research Extramural Unit, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0001-9387-0432
Edith PhalaneSouth African Medical Research Council/University of Johannesburg Pan African Centre for Epidemics Research Extramural Unit, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0001-6128-2337
Amrita RaoKey Populations Program, Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-9596-2418
Kalai WillisKey Populations Program, Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.ORCID 0000-0003-0157-0593
Katherine RucinskiKey Populations Program, Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-9858-5953
K Alida VoetKey Populations Program, Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.ORCID 0009-0003-2278-2314
Amal AbdulrahmanKey Populations Program, Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.ORCID 0009-0000-3468-0970
Claris SiyamayamboSouth African Medical Research Council/University of Johannesburg Pan African Centre for Epidemics Research Extramural Unit, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-4884-681X
Betty SebatiSouth African Medical Research Council/University of Johannesburg Pan African Centre for Epidemics Research Extramural Unit, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0001-9236-9443
Mohlago SelokaSouth African Medical Research Council/University of Johannesburg Pan African Centre for Epidemics Research Extramural Unit, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0001-5614-0078
Musa JaitehSouth African Medical Research Council/University of Johannesburg Pan African Centre for Epidemics Research Extramural Unit, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0001-6920-9919
Lerato Lucia OlifantSouth African Medical Research Council/University of Johannesburg Pan African Centre for Epidemics Research Extramural Unit, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-4564-0760
Katharine JourneayKey Populations Program, Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.ORCID 0009-0008-7597-966X
Haley SiselKey Populations Program, Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-0660-0889
Xiaoming LiBig Data Health Science Center, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-5555-9034
Bankole OlatosiBig Data Health Science Center, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-8295-8735
Neset HikmetEngineering and Computing, Integrated Information Technology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-0777-3132
Prashant DuhoonEngineering and Computing, Integrated Information Technology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.ORCID 0009-0003-2970-5565
Francois WolmaransTechnology Architecture & Planning, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.ORCID 0009-0008-5565-3670
Yegnanew A ShiferawDepartment of Statistics, Faculty of Science, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-2422-4768
Lifutso MotsieloaSouth African National AIDS Council, Pretoria, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0001-6741-9760
Mashudu RampiloSouth African National AIDS Council, Pretoria, South Africa.ORCID 0009-0004-3570-0602
Stefan BaralKey Populations Program, Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-5482-2419

Funding

Leveraging Big Data Science to Focus the HIV Response in Countries with Generalized HIV EpidemicsR01AI170249 · NIAID · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI BARAL, STEFAN DAVID · 2022 to 2025
$2.9M
Implementation Research to Optimize ART Delivery for Adolescents and Young Adults Living with HIVK01MH129226 · NIMH · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI Katherine B Rucinski · 2022 to 2026
$792k
Program and implementation context of a housing support initiative to address homelessness and improve HIV service uptake among youth in the United StatesK01MD020002 · NIMHD · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI Amrita Rao · 2024 to 2026
$381k
NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI170249NIMHD NIH HHS K01 MD020002NIMH NIH HHS K01 MH129226South African Medical Research Council #57035
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn South Africa, there is no centralized HIV surveillance system where key populations (KPs) data, including gay men and other men who have sex with men, female sex workers, transgender persons, people who use drugs, and incarcerated persons, are stored in South Africa despite being on higher risk of HIV acquisition and transmission than the general population. Data on KPs are being collected on a smaller scale by numerous stakeholders and managed in silos. There exists an opportunity to harness a variety of data, such as empirical, contextual, observational, and programmatic data, for evaluating the potential impact of HIV responses among KPs in South Africa.

objectiveThis study aimed to leverage and harness big heterogeneous data on HIV among KPs and harmonize and analyze it to inform a targeted HIV response for greater impact in Sub-Saharan Africa.

methodsThe Boloka data repository initiative has 5 stages. There will be engagement of a wide range of stakeholders to facilitate the acquisition of data (stage 1). Through these engagements, different data types will be collated (stage 2). The data will be filtered and screened to enable high-quality analyses (stage 3). The collated data will be stored in the Boloka data repository (stage 4). The Boloka data repository will be made accessible to stakeholders and authorized users (stage 5).

resultsThe protocol was funded by the South African Medical Research Council following external peer reviews (December 2022). The study received initial ethics approval (May 2022), renewal (June 2023), and amendment (July 2024) from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Research Ethics Committee. The research team has been recruited, onboarded, and received non-web-based internet ethics training (January 2023). A list of current and potential data partners has been compiled (January 2023 to date). Data sharing or user agreements have been signed with several data partners (August 2023 to date). Survey and routine data have been and are being secured (January 5, 2023). In (September 2024) we received Ghana Men Study data. The data transfer agreement between the Pan African Centre for Epidemics Research and the Perinatal HIV Research Unit was finalized (October 2024), and we are anticipating receiving data by (December 2024). In total, 7 abstracts are underway, with 1 abstract completed the analysis and expected to submit the full article to the peer-reviewed journal in early January 2024. As of March 2025, we expect to submit the remaining 6 full articles.

conclusionsA truly "complete" data infrastructure that systematically and rigorously integrates diverse data for KPs will not only improve our understanding of local epidemics but will also improve HIV interventions and policies. Furthermore, it will inform future research directions and become an incredible institutional mechanism for epidemiological and public health training in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/63583.

Indexed as

Big DataHIV InfectionsAfrica South of the SaharaFemaleHumansMaleSex WorkersSouth AfricaTransgender Personsbig heterogeneous dataBoloka data repositoryHIV, key populationsSub-Saharan Africa

Identifiers

PMID39841994
PMCPMC11799808

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.