An innovation bootcamp model for developing youth-led HIV self-testing delivery strategies in Nigeria: post-designathon capacity building

Ucheoma Nwaozuru, Department of Implementation Science, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States.
Chisom Obiezu-Umeh, Department of Medical Social Sciences, Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States.
Kadija M. Tahlil, Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.
Titilola Gbaja-Biamila, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos, Nigeria.
Rhonda BeLue, Department of Public Health, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.
Ifeoma Idigbe, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos, Nigeria.
David Oladele, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos, Nigeria.
Donaldson Conserve, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States.
Collins Airhihenbuwa, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States.
Hong Xian, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, United States.
Adesola Z. Musa, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos, Nigeria.
Olufunto Olusanya, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States.
Temitope Ojo, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States.
Oliver Ezechi, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos, Nigeria.
Joseph D. Tucker, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, United States.
Juliet Iwelunmor, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

1-1-2024

Journal

Frontiers in public health

Volume

12

DOI

10.3389/fpubh.2024.1454304

Keywords

HIV self-testing; Nigeria; co-creation; global health; innovation bootcamp; participatory action research; young people; youth engagement

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Many designathons, hackathons, and similar participatory events suffer from minimal training and support after the events. Responding to this need, we organized a health innovation bootcamp: an intensive, team-based apprenticeship training with research and entrepreneurial rigor among young people in Nigeria to develop HIV self-testing (HIVST) delivery strategies for Nigerian youth. The purpose of this paper was to describe an innovation bootcamp that aimed to develop HIVST delivery strategies for Nigerian youth. METHODS: The four-week, in-person innovation bootcamp, informed by youth participatory action research and comprised a series of workshops, took place in Lagos, Nigeria. The goal was to build research and entrepreneurial capacities among young people to develop and implement HIVST strategies. A qualitative content analysis informed by an adapted World Health Organization's HIVST delivery framework explored key elements of the proposed HIVST service delivery strategies developed at the bootcamp. RESULTS: Twenty participants, aged 18-24 years, from five teams completed the innovation bootcamp. The five teams developed HIV service delivery strategies that included an element of repacking HIVST kits to make them more appealing to young people. Other strategies that emerged included leveraging community engagement platforms (e.g., vocational skills training and youth community events) to promote HIVST, and the use of reward-referral system to encourage HIVST uptake among young people. All strategies included ways to ensure privacy protection for recipients of the HIVST delivery package. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of the health innovation bootcamp model to create HIVST designed for and led by young people. This suggests a way to build capacity after participatory events to sustain youth-led research, which could have implications for post-designathon training.

Department

Prevention and Community Health

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