The Coach Mpilo Study: Evaluation of a Peer-led Intervention to Promote Engagement in HIV Care for Men Living With HIV

Developed in South Africa using extensive input from community members and healthcare professionals, Coach Mpilo is a peer support intervention that was designed to improve health outcomes for men living with HIV. Coach Mpilo engages men living with HIV as coaches who provide support to their peers and help them address psychosocial barriers in accessing and staying in HIV care. The peers employed by Coach Mpilo provide individualized assistance to men who are struggling with medication adherence and clinic visits, focusing on specific barriers ranging from knowledge about the benefits of HIV treatment, stigma, mental health, and social isolation. Through a randomised control trial, this project will (1) determine the impact of the Coach Mpilo intervention on retention in HIV care, viral suppression, HIV treatment adherence, mental health, HIV stigma, and economic status; (2) identify populations of men who may not benefit from the intervention and require alternative support; and (3) assess the intervention's cost-effectiveness.