Perceived Benefits, Challenges, and Recommendations for National HIV/AIDS Research Dissemination Efforts in Tanzania

Abstract

Background Although a number of international and national HIV/AIDS conferences exist, there is not a national conference in Tanzania focusing on disseminating HIV/AIDS research conducted in the country. This creates a missed opportunity for researchers to share their research findings with local policy makers and HIV program implementers who can influence the adoption and implementation of locally promising research to public health and clinical practice settings. This paper reports on the findings from a brainstorming session conducted at the first HIV/AIDS Research Forum designed to enhance local dissemination efforts of HIV/AIDS research conducted in Tanzania. Method During the second day of the Forum, which was held in Morogoro, Tanzania, a 1-hour structured brainstorming session was conducted with the Forum participants. Participants included researchers, medical professionals, policymakers, representatives from different ministries. Transcription of the brainstorming session was analyzed to identify benefits of the Forum, perceived challenges for organizing similar HIV/AIDS research dissemination events, and recommendations for addressing the challenges. Results Overall, 50 participants attended the Forum and they perceived the forum to be beneficial because it brought together researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders working in HIV/AIDS programs and implementers. Having policymakers and researchers in the same place enhance the likelihood of policymakers using research findings to inform policies and influence adoption and implementation of effective interventions. Forum participants identified several potential challenges of similar local HIV/AIDS research dissemination efforts including the costs and lack of funding for organizing and hosting such forums or having repetitive presentations. To address these concerns, they recommended a biennial national conference in order to allow more time to raise funds to cover the costs associated with organizing such a conference. Conclusion The benefits identified for the Forum highlight the importance of developing a national level HIV/AIDS conference in Tanzania. However, the potential challenges discussed need to be addressed in order to develop a sustainable national HIV/AIDS conference by incorporating the recommendations that forum attendees proposed.