In this seminar, Susan Nkengasong, faculty affiliate at Georgetown University’s Center for Global Health Science and Security, presented preliminary findings from her doctor of public health project. The study specifically targeted adolescents and young adults aged 14 to 24, known as the 4 Youth by Youth (4YBY) project in Nigeria. The intervention aimed at promoting HIV self-testing (HIVST) and linking the youth to preventive services. Nkengasong’s project explored the level of youth engagement and identified barriers and facilitators to HIVST implementation in seven local government areas. The findings from this study shed light on the broader dynamics affecting HIVST uptake among youths in Nigeria and underscore the importance of tailored interventions in bridging the HIV knowledge gap and promoting early diagnosis. The findings also indicate that while the intervention was successful in promoting HIV self-testing uptake, there are important challenges relating to youth engagement.
This event was open to all Georgetown University faculty, students, staff, and affiliates.
This event was co-sponsored by the Center for Global Health Science and Security, the School of Health’s Department of Health Management and Policy, and the Global Health Institute.
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Susan Nkengasong is a doctor of public health (Dr.PH.) candidate in the faculty of infectious and tropical diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She is also a faculty affiliate at Georgetown University’s Center for Global Health Science and Security and has a strong interest in community engagement. Nkengasong has a special research interest in using innovative strategies to promote public health outcomes. She has been involved in designing and implementing crowdsourcing approaches to improve the uptake of HIV self-testing among adolescents in Nigeria as well as improving informed consent for adolescents and young adults in HIV research in Sub-Saharan Africa. Her primary research interests include infectious disease prevention, global mental health research, and policy implementation and evaluation. She received her master's degree in clinical counseling from Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia, and bachelor's degree in social sciences from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium.