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Dr. Herbert Kadama presented PrEP Program Updates at the SEARCH SAPPHIRE stakeholder meeting. He outlined the scale-up of Uganda’s oral PrEP program through facility and #community delivery, the introduction of long-acting options including cabotegravir and lenacapavir to expand client choice, ongoing system and capacity strengthening, and plans for broader #national coverage across populations.

Mr. Jamiru Mpiima presented at the SEARCH SAPPHIRE stakeholder meeting on Uganda’s digital #health journey. He outlined the evolution of national systems from parallel tools to integrated facility and community platforms feeding DHIS2 and the National Data Warehouse, key challenges in infrastructure, capacity and change management, and the 2026–2030 roadmap for interoperability, data use, AI readiness, cybersecurity and sustainable scale-up.

Closing discussions at the SEARCH SAPPHIRE stakeholder meeting addressed translating research into practice, strengthening digital health systems and capacity, improving reach for adolescent girls, young women and key populations, and securing affordable prevention commodities. In closing remarks, Dr. Alice Namale, Prof. Moses Kamya and Prof. Diane Havlir thanked participants, highlighted the value of researcher–policymaker collaboration, and expressed optimism that shared evidence and integrated approaches will advance progress toward ending #HIV and improving community health in #EastAfrica

Dr. Alex Opio, Chairperson of the Scientific Advisory Board, opened the SEARCH SAPPHIRE stakeholder meeting with warm welcome remarks. He outlined the day’s agenda, acknowledged key participants from the Ministry of Health, IDRC, partners and collaborators, and highlighted the meeting’s purpose: enabling the SEARCH team to engage stakeholders, share progress, and generate recommendations to strengthen programs and policies for ending AIDS and improving community health in East Africa.

At the SEARCH SAPPHIRE stakeholder meeting, Prof. @DHavlir . Diane Havlir (@UCSF ), Principal Investigator, presented on the project’s Dynamic Choice #HIV Prevention approach and the SEARCH Sapphire 2.0 roadmap. She outlined person-centered, multi-disease strategies offering flexible product choices, service delivery options, and community-based models to expand prevention, optimize treatment, and improve community health across East Africa.

Prof. Moses Kamya (IDRC), Principal Investigator of SEARCH SAPPHIRE, opened the stakeholder meeting with welcome remarks recognizing @MinofHealthUG partners, different collaborators, and the SEARCH team, and tracing the project’s evolution from universal testing and treatment to integrated multi-disease care. In his presentation he outlined the Community Precision Health model—combining trained community health workers, clinic-based Dynamic Choice Prevention and treatment support, and digital tools—to deliver person-centered HIV and broader health services beyond facilities in rural Kenya and Uganda.

Dr. Jane Kabami presented at the SEARCH SAPPHIRE stakeholder meeting on pediatric #HIV in the study communities. She outlined research examining HIV prevalence among children, progress along the pediatric care cascade, and the role of the Community Precision Health intervention in identifying and raising awareness of HIV among children born to mothers living with or at risk of HIV—highlighting the continued need to address inequalities and improve outcomes for children.

Dr. James Ayieko presented at the SEARCH SAPPHIRE stakeholder meeting and his presentation was on Advanced HIV disease (AHD) in the SEARCH studies in rural Uganda and Kenya. He outlined the evaluation of population-level AHD prevalence before and after the scale-up of universal ART, along with characterization of demographics, care engagement, hospitalizations, and #HIV drug resistance among people living with AHD in the recent period.

Dr. Asiphas Owaraganise presented at the SEARCH SAPPHIRE stakeholder meeting on the #hypertension component of the Community Precision Health intervention. He outlined how a scalable, community health worker–led model using existing systems and digital tools can improve population-level blood pressure control and reduce cardiovascular disease burden in rural Uganda, supporting multi-disease approaches to better community health.

Dr. Elijah Kakande presented at the SEARCH SAPPHIRE stakeholder meeting on population-level changes in BMI and #obesity in rural #Uganda . Using data from the SEARCH studies, he examined trends over time and by #HIV status, exploring the influence of ART scale-up and regimen shifts in the context of rising obesity and non-communicable diseases across sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr. Robert Mutumba, program manager ACP, presented at the SEARCH SAPPHIRE stakeholder meeting on the current landscape of the national #HIV program. He highlighted progress and remaining gaps along the 95-95-95 cascade, the priority of reducing new infections, the shift toward integrated and person-centered service delivery amid changing financing, and the need to balance biomedical and behavioral prevention approaches with innovative strategies.

Dr. Eleanor Namusoke presented on pediatric and adolescent #HIV care, highlighting the need for child-friendly integrated service models, stronger testing at priority entry points, better data use for targeting, and clear guidance on successful integration.

At the SEARCH SAPPHIRE stakeholder meeting, Dr. Charles Ayoo, Commissioner NCDs, discussed the rising burden of non-communicable diseases, with hypertension as a key entry point, emphasizing risk-factor reduction, community-level screening through health workers, and integrated approaches to lower NCD mortality.