Main navigationMain content
University of Minnesota
http://twin-cities.umn.edu/
612-625-5000
Go to the U of M home page
  • One Stop
  • MyU

School of Public Health

MENUMENU
  • About
        • About
          • School at a Glance
          • History
          • Mission & Values
          • Accreditation
          • SPH Behind the Scenes
        • Leadership
          • Dean Melinda Pettigrew
          • Leadership Team
        • Diversity & Inclusion
          • About
          • Agents for Change
          • Training & Development
          • Events
          • Resources
          • Strategic Plan for Antiracism
          • Podcast
          • Report an Incident
        • Offices and Services
          • Communications
          • Development & Alumni Relations
          • Diversity & Inclusion
          • E-Learning Services
          • Faculty Affairs
          • Finance
          • Human Resources
          • Student Services
        • Faculty Directory
        • Contact Us
  • Academics
        • Graduate Programs
          • Master of Public Health (MPH)
          • Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA)
          • Master of Science (MS)
          • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
          • Executive & Distance Degrees
          • Dual Degrees
          • Minors
          • 4+1 Environmental Health MPH
          • Certificates
        • Undergraduate Programs
          • Bachelor of Arts (BA)
          • Public Health Minor
        • Academic Divisions
          • Biostatistics & Health Data Science
          • Environmental Health Sciences
          • Epidemiology & Community Health
          • Health Policy & Management
        • E-Learning and Academic Technology
          • Online Course Development
          • Guides and Trainings
          • In-Person Courses
          • Instructor Support
          • Quick Help
        • Institutes
          • 2025 Public Health Institute
        • Syllabi
        • Continuing Education and Outreach
        • Non-degree Seeking Students
  • Prospective Students
        • Application Process
          • Apply
          • Application Deadlines
          • Application Review Process
          • Undergraduate BA
          • International Applicants
          • Equal Opportunity, Access & Privacy
          • Certificate Applicants
          • Declaring a Minor
        • Tuition & Finances
          • Cost of Living in Minnesota
          • Scholarships & Funding
          • Financial Aid, Loans & Grants
          • Employment Opportunities
        • Careers
          • Students
          • Employers
          • Alumni
          • Events
          • About
        • Recently Admitted Students
          • Admitted Student Day
          • Confirm Your Enrollment
        • What is Public Health?
        • Living in Minnesota
        • Events
        • Students of SPH
  • Current Students
        • Student Resources
          • Syllabi
          • Guidebooks
          • School and University Resources
          • Student Policies
          • SPHere Lounge
        • Careers Services
          • Career Outcomes
          • Students
          • Employers
          • Alumni
          • Events
          • Job Postings
          • About Us
        • Student Engagement Opportunities
          • Student Senate
          • Student Ambassadors
          • MHA Community Stewardship Initiative
        • Applied Practice
        • Mentor Program
        • Minors
        • Students of SPH
        • Orientation
        • Incoming Student Requirements
        • Commencement
  • Alumni
    • Connect
    • Get Involved
    • Career Resources
    • Awards & Honors
    • SPH Alumni Society
  • Research
    • Faculty Experts
    • Research Centers
    • Research Projects and Studies
    • Interdisciplinary Collaborations
    • Student Research
  • News
    • News Home
    • Health In All Matters Podcast
    • Advances Magazine
  • Events
  • Give
  1. Home
  2. Research
  3. Global Health Work Group
  4. Stories
  5. Enhancing Community Health for People Living With HIV in Southern Ethiopia

Stories

Back to:Stories

  • Establishing the First National Sero-prevalence Estimates of Toxoplasmosis in Uganda
  • Increasing Awareness on Global Tobacco Reduction by Advocating for Strategic Global Partnerships and Tobacco Reduction Initiatives and Strategies
  • Overseeing students’ work with Community Health Workers in India and building health-related research capacity in Afghanistan
  • Using A Standardized Patient Approach to Study Stigma Against LGBT Community in Healthcare Settings in China
  • Understanding how health inequities and social injustices impact health outcomes both at the local and global health level
  • Rural Roots to Global Response and Preparedness Interventions
  • Developing Mathematical Models to Evaluate HIV Treatment Strategies in Mexico
  • Strengthening Access to Rural Health Care in Haiti through Program Evaluation
  • Conducting Treatment and Clinical Trials for Ebola and HIV
  • Eliminating and controlling malaria in Southern Africa
  • Diabetes Prevention in Jamaica by Addressing Food Access and Security
  • Advancing Health Orientation Materials for Refugees in Minnesota
  • Observing the Intersection of Traditional and Western Medicine in Rural India
  • Understanding How Local Efforts Impact Global Health
  • Enhancing Community Health for People Living With HIV in Southern Ethiopia
  • Analyzing Global Health Policy at the World Health Organization
  • Conducting Focus Groups for Maternal Health in Kampala, Uganda
  • Researching Infectious Diseases in Latin America with an Equity Lens
  • Developing Relationships in India to Understand Global Health Systems

Enhancing Community Health for People Living With HIV in Southern Ethiopia

Professor Alan Lifson

Professor Alan Lifson has spent most of his career in the service of vulnerable and at-risk populations with HIV and other infectious diseases. This journey has led to his current project, a 32-site randomized controlled trial of a community support intervention for people living with HIV (PLWH) in rural Ethiopia.

Since 2010 he has been conducting work in southern rural Ethiopia, including a pilot intervention using trained community health support workers who are also HIV positive. This pilot project succeeded in retaining HIV patients in treatment and improving their physical and emotional health.

This research was the foundation for the current NIH-funded randomized community trial. For three years these trained HIV-positive community workers will provide: health education to newly diagnosed HIV patients on their drugs treatment and health promoting behaviors; counseling and social support to deal with HIV stigma and their HIV status; and facilitated communication to the HIV clinic when medical support is needed. This fills part of the gap in care that so many patients need, a gap that often leads to patients dropping out of treatment programs.

This study will follow 1,779 patients over the course of three years, giving the study’s analysis statistical power, and allowing the study to track and account for a large variety of other variables and health outcomes.

Lifson says that what motivates him is the potential to impact the lives of people living with HIV and creating programs that will be sustainable after the study.

“I actually feel quite humbled to be working with the support workers and project staff on this study… I have learned as much from them as I hope that I have contributed.”

His advice for those interested in global health is to listen to local colleagues and partners, spend time in the communities to understand the local situation, and be flexible. Doing so is an important facet of global health work and the key to creating long-term sustainable community interventions.

  • About
  • Academics
  • Prospective Students
  • Current Students
  • Alumni
  • Research
  • News
  • Events
  • Give

University of Minnesota School of Public Health

Contact
420 Delaware St. S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455

612-626-3500
sph-ask@umn.edu

Submit your news, research, event or communications request
SPH Communications partners with faculty, staff, and students to raise the school's profile and highlight its value to our audiences.

SPH Intranet for Faculty and Staff | Health Sciences

For Students, Faculty, and Staff

  • One Stop
  • My U
© 2025 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Privacy Statement