Implementation and Effects of Nishauri on HIV Treatment Outcomes Among Men

About 1.3 million people in Kenya are living with HIV, and Homa Bay County has the highest rate in the country. Even though HIV treatment has improved, many men still face challenges staying in care, taking their medicine, and achieving good health. This is often because of stigma, male gender norms, and lack of support designed specifically for men.

Nishauri is a mobile health (mHealth) app created to help people living with HIV by sending reminders, health tips, and other support through their phones. It has already reached over 300,000 users in Kenya. However, it is not yet clear how well it works for men in improving care and treatment.

This study, led by Maseno University in Kenya and the University of California San Francisco in the U.S., will test how the Nishauri app affects men's HIV care. We will work with 347 men aged 18 to 55 who own a smartphone or tablet and are already receiving HIV treatment at four clinics in Homa Bay. We will collect information through surveys before and after using the app, and also conduct focus group discussions to better understand what helps or makes it hard for men to use the app.

We believe that using Nishauri will help improve men's treatment outcomes-like staying in care, taking medicine regularly, and having lower viral load.