Heiner Grosskurth
Biographic Data
| ID | 114980 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Heiner Grosskurth |
| GIVEN NAMES | Heiner |
| FAMILY NAME | Grosskurth |
| SIGNATURE | GROSSKURTH H |
| AFFILIATIONS | London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9960-7280 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 28 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 44 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 28 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1993 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Ashamed of being seen in an HIV clinic”
ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03858998. Registered on 01 March 2019
Self-Efficacy and One-Year HIV Outcomes for Hospitalized People with HIV in Tanzania
Examining the causal pathways through which the Daraja intervention led to sustained improvement in HIV outcomes, including retention in HIV care, ART adherence, and viral load suppression, could highlight critical mechanisms for improving post-hospital outcomes in people with HIV. This pre-specified analysis of the Daraja trial assessed five mediators identified from the Gelberg-Andersen model (self-efficacy, social support, perceived need for H…
Epidemiology of alcohol use and alcohol use disorders among people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in Northwest Tanzania
Alcohol use disorders (AUD) among people living with HIV (PLHIV) are associated with poor health outcomes. This cross-sectional study examined current alcohol use and AUD among 300 PLHIV on ART at four HIV care centres in Northwest Tanzania. Participants' data were collected using questionnaires. Alcohol use was assessed using Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Logistic regression was used to examine associations between each outc…
Routine health check-ups for adolescents in Mwanza City, Tanzania
Stakeholders were supportive of the proposed routine health check-ups for adolescents, recommending specific health conditions to be screened for in both community and school settings. Based on the above, we plan to conduct implementation research to determine the number of new treatable conditions detected, and the costs of offering such services. In the longer term, evaluation of their health impact and cost-effectiveness will be required to gu…
Factors Associated with Short and Long Term Mobility and HIV Risk of Women Living in Fishing Communities Around Lake Victoria in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda
Mobility is linked to negative HIV care continuum outcomes. We sought to understand factors associated with short and long term mobility among women in fishing communities in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. From 2018 through 2019 we conducted a cross-sectional survey of women aged 15 years and above, randomly selected from a census of six fishing villages, around Lake Victoria. Data collected included: demographics, risky sexual behaviour on the mos…
Understanding mobility and sexual risk behaviour among women in fishing communities of Lake Victoria in East Africa
Women exhibited circular and seasonal mobility patterns over varying distances and duration away from their home communities. These mobility patterns may limit women's access to trial/health services and put them at risk of HIV-infection. Interventions should be tailored to take into account mobility patterns of seasonal work observed in this study
Factors associated with uptake of home-based HIV counselling and testing and HIV care services among identified HIV-positive persons in Masaka, Uganda
We investigated uptake of home-based HIV counselling and testing (HBHCT) and HIV care services post-HBHCT in order to inform the design of future HBHCT programmes. We used data from an open-label cluster-randomised controlled trial which had demonstrated the effectiveness of a post-HBHCT counselling intervention in increasing linkage to HIV care. HBHCT was offered to adults (≥18 years) from 28 rural communities in Masaka, Uganda; consenting HIV-p…
High Levels of Persistent Problem Drinking in Women at High Risk for HIV in Kampala, Uganda
The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of problem drinking in a cohort of women at high-risk of HIV in Kampala, Uganda. Overall, 1027 women at high risk of HIV infection were followed from 2008 to 2013. The CAGE and AUDIT questionnaires were used to identify problem drinkers in the cohort. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to ascertain socio-demographic and behavioural factors. Blood and genital samples were tested…
Incidence and Persistence of Major Depressive Disorder Among People Living with HIV in Uganda
Data on the course of major depressive disorder (MDD) among people living with HIV (PLWH) are needed to inform refinement of screening and interventions for MDD. This paper describes the incidence and persistence rate of MDD in PLWH in Uganda. 1099 ART-naïve PLWH attending HIV clinics in Uganda were followed up for 12 months. MDD was assessed using the DSM IV based Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview with a prevalence for MDD at baselin…
Validation of the Mini (DSM IV) Tool for the Assessment of Alcohol Dependence among Young People in Northern Tanzania Using the Alcohol Biomarker Phosphatidylethanol (PEth)
The alcohol dependence section of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview questionnaire (MINI) has not been evaluated in young Africans. We applied the MINI in a cross-sectional study of 202 alcohol users from northern-Tanzania, aged 18-24 years (103 male casual workers and 99 students), and validated it against phophatidylethanol (PEth) at a cut-off suggesting heavy chronic alcohol use (≥0.30 μmol/L). Blood was assayed for PEth (16:0/1…
Condom use among female sex workers in Uganda
Consistent condom use can prevent HIV infection, yet levels of condom use are low in many settings. This paper examines determinants of inconsistent condom use among 905 women enrolled in a high-risk cohort in Kampala, Uganda, who reported sexual intercourse with paying clients in the last month. Among these, 40% participants reported using condoms inconsistently with paying clients in the past month. The most common reason for inconsistent condo…
HIV-1 seroprevalence and risk factors for HIV infection among first-time psychiatric admissions in Uganda
This study investigated HIV seroprevalence and it's correlates among patients with first-time psychiatric admissions to two national referral hospitals in urban Kampala, Uganda. A structured standardised evaluation was used to assess patients for: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV psychiatric diagnosis, socio-demographics, sexual behaviour and HIV status (for those HIV-positive, CDC classification and CD4 cell counts). The HIV-1 seroprevalence…
Health and functional status among older people with HIV/Aids in Uganda
The systematic exploration of health and well being among older people, using eight self-reported and objective health indicators, showed that basic health problems are very common at older ages and poorly addressed by existing health services. HIV-infected older people, however, whether on ART or not yet on ART, had a similar health and functional status as other older people
War related sexual violence and it's medical and psychological consequences as seen in Kitgum, Northern Uganda
BACKGROUND: Despite the recent adoption of the UN resolution 1820 (2008) which calls for the cessation of war related sexual violence against civilians in conflict zones, Africa continues to see some of the worst cases of war related sexual violence including the mass sexual abuse of entire rural communities particularly in the Great Lakes region. In addition to calling for a complete halt to this abuse, there is a need for the systematic study o…
The experience of “medicine companions” to support adherence to antiretroviral therapy
Good adherence is critical for antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa. We report on the characteristics of medicine companions (MCs) chosen by Ugandan patients enrolling on ART, and on how MCs were chosen, and what roles they played. Baseline data on MCs of 1453 participants in a randomized controlled trial comparing facility and home-based delivery of ART in Jinja, Uganda were analyzed. Textual data on experience with MCs were collec…
The role of HIV testing, counselling, and treatment in coping with HIV/Aids in Uganda
HIV/AIDS has had a devastating impact at individual, household and community levels. This qualitative research investigates the role of HIV voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) and treatment in enabling HIV-positive Ugandans to cope with this disease. Twelve predetermined focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted; six with men and six with women. Half of the men and women's groups were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) and half were n…
Mortality and loss-to-follow-up during the pre-treatment period in an antiretroviral therapy programme under normal health service conditions in Uganda
About a quarter of subjects eligible for ART did not complete screening and pre-treatment mortality was very high even though patients in this setting were well informed. For many families, the high cost of transport is a major barrier preventing access to ART
This is where we buried our sons’
Much research on the impact of HIV and AIDS on older people fails to differentiate between age groups, and treats those aged from 50 years to the highest ages as homogeneous. The ‘oldest old’ or those aged over 75 years may be particularly vulnerable through declining health and independence as a result of the AIDS epidemic, which has forced some to take on roles that younger relatives would have performed had they lived. In this paper we describ…
Fishing for a Living but Catching HIV
Over the last decade evidence has emerged suggesting that fisherfolk, as an occupational group, are at greater risk to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) than other groups in many countries, including Uganda. In this paper we argue that the organization of work in fisheries on Lake Victoria, both now and in the past, encourages patterns of sexual behavior among men and women involved in fishing, trading, and servicing the industry which over the …
High levels of psychosocial readiness for ART in an African population at the onset of treatment
Adherence at the earliest stages of treatment is likely to be influenced by prior illness trajectories and future expectations, best captured (and addressed) before treatment begins. We examined the influence of illness trajectories and treatment expectations on psychosocial readiness to start antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Jinja, Uganda. In-depth interviews were conducted between October 2005 and April 2006 with 41 members of an AIDS support or…
Using in-depth qualitative data to enhance our understanding of quantitative results regarding the impact of HIV and Aids on households in rural Uganda
What if they ask how I got it?' Dilemmas of disclosing parental HIV status and testing children for HIV in Uganda
BACKGROUND: Limited research has been conducted outside Western settings on how HIV-positive parents decide to test and disclose their own HIV status to children. We conducted a qualitative study in 2001 and 2005 to assess parent attitudes and current counselling policy and practice regarding child testing and parental disclosure in Uganda prior to the roll-out of antiretroviral therapy. METHODS: Parent perspectives were obtained through extended…
Rationale and design of the Mema kwa Vijana adolescent sexual and reproductive health intervention in Mwanza Region, Tanzania
Large-scale innovative, integrated, multifaceted adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) interventions are urgently needed in sub-Saharan Africa. Implementation through schools and health facilities may maximize intervention coverage and sustainability, however the impact of the use of these structures on intervention content and delivery is not well documented. This paper describes the rationale and design of a large-scale multifaceted …
Adolescent reproductive health and awareness of HIV among rural high school students, North Western Ethiopia
Ethiopia is faced with an increasing problem from HIV infection, and the vulnerability of adolescents is a key concern. There is little information on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of this age group with respect to HIV, sexually transmitted diseases and preventive measures. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 260 students from two rural high schools in North Western Ethiopia. We found that although the general awareness of HIV was…
Patterns of sexual behaviour in a rural population in north-western Tanzania
Fishing for a Living but Catching HIV
Over the last decade evidence has emerged suggesting that fisherfolk, as an occupational group, are at greater risk to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) than other groups in many countries, including Uganda. In this paper we argue that the organization of work in fisheries on Lake Victoria, both now and in the past, encourages patterns of sexual behavior among men and women involved in fishing, trading, and servicing the industry which over the …
This is where we buried our sons’
Much research on the impact of HIV and AIDS on older people fails to differentiate between age groups, and treats those aged from 50 years to the highest ages as homogeneous. The ‘oldest old’ or those aged over 75 years may be particularly vulnerable through declining health and independence as a result of the AIDS epidemic, which has forced some to take on roles that younger relatives would have performed had they lived. In this paper we describ…
Using in-depth qualitative data to enhance our understanding of quantitative results regarding the impact of HIV and Aids on households in rural Uganda
What if they ask how I got it?' Dilemmas of disclosing parental HIV status and testing children for HIV in Uganda
BACKGROUND: Limited research has been conducted outside Western settings on how HIV-positive parents decide to test and disclose their own HIV status to children. We conducted a qualitative study in 2001 and 2005 to assess parent attitudes and current counselling policy and practice regarding child testing and parental disclosure in Uganda prior to the roll-out of antiretroviral therapy. METHODS: Parent perspectives were obtained through extended…
Patterns of sexual behaviour in a rural population in north-western Tanzania
Lay health beliefs concerning HIV and Aids—a barrier for control programmes
Work in AIDS control in East Africa revealed widespread lay health beliefs concerning HIV infection and AIDS amongst health workers and members of the general population at both lower and higher risk of infection. The beliefs were often factually incorrect and undermining to AIDS control in the field of information, education and communication (IEC). The beliefs were conveyed informally but their origins could often be traced. Local media were im…
Impact of improved treatment of sexually transmitted diseases on HIV infection in rural Tanzania
Impact of Improved Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases on HIV Infection in Rural Tanzania
Patterns of sexual behaviour in a rural population in north-western Tanzania
Adolescent reproductive health and awareness of HIV among rural high school students, North Western Ethiopia
Ethiopia is faced with an increasing problem from HIV infection, and the vulnerability of adolescents is a key concern. There is little information on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of this age group with respect to HIV, sexually transmitted diseases and preventive measures. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 260 students from two rural high schools in North Western Ethiopia. We found that although the general awareness of HIV was…
Rationale and design of the Mema kwa Vijana adolescent sexual and reproductive health intervention in Mwanza Region, Tanzania
Large-scale innovative, integrated, multifaceted adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) interventions are urgently needed in sub-Saharan Africa. Implementation through schools and health facilities may maximize intervention coverage and sustainability, however the impact of the use of these structures on intervention content and delivery is not well documented. This paper describes the rationale and design of a large-scale multifaceted …
What if they ask how I got it?' Dilemmas of disclosing parental HIV status and testing children for HIV in Uganda
BACKGROUND: Limited research has been conducted outside Western settings on how HIV-positive parents decide to test and disclose their own HIV status to children. We conducted a qualitative study in 2001 and 2005 to assess parent attitudes and current counselling policy and practice regarding child testing and parental disclosure in Uganda prior to the roll-out of antiretroviral therapy. METHODS: Parent perspectives were obtained through extended…
Using in-depth qualitative data to enhance our understanding of quantitative results regarding the impact of HIV and Aids on households in rural Uganda
The role of HIV testing, counselling, and treatment in coping with HIV/Aids in Uganda
HIV/AIDS has had a devastating impact at individual, household and community levels. This qualitative research investigates the role of HIV voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) and treatment in enabling HIV-positive Ugandans to cope with this disease. Twelve predetermined focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted; six with men and six with women. Half of the men and women's groups were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) and half were n…
Mortality and loss-to-follow-up during the pre-treatment period in an antiretroviral therapy programme under normal health service conditions in Uganda
About a quarter of subjects eligible for ART did not complete screening and pre-treatment mortality was very high even though patients in this setting were well informed. For many families, the high cost of transport is a major barrier preventing access to ART
This is where we buried our sons’
Much research on the impact of HIV and AIDS on older people fails to differentiate between age groups, and treats those aged from 50 years to the highest ages as homogeneous. The ‘oldest old’ or those aged over 75 years may be particularly vulnerable through declining health and independence as a result of the AIDS epidemic, which has forced some to take on roles that younger relatives would have performed had they lived. In this paper we describ…
Fishing for a Living but Catching HIV
Over the last decade evidence has emerged suggesting that fisherfolk, as an occupational group, are at greater risk to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) than other groups in many countries, including Uganda. In this paper we argue that the organization of work in fisheries on Lake Victoria, both now and in the past, encourages patterns of sexual behavior among men and women involved in fishing, trading, and servicing the industry which over the …
High levels of psychosocial readiness for ART in an African population at the onset of treatment
Adherence at the earliest stages of treatment is likely to be influenced by prior illness trajectories and future expectations, best captured (and addressed) before treatment begins. We examined the influence of illness trajectories and treatment expectations on psychosocial readiness to start antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Jinja, Uganda. In-depth interviews were conducted between October 2005 and April 2006 with 41 members of an AIDS support or…
War related sexual violence and it's medical and psychological consequences as seen in Kitgum, Northern Uganda
BACKGROUND: Despite the recent adoption of the UN resolution 1820 (2008) which calls for the cessation of war related sexual violence against civilians in conflict zones, Africa continues to see some of the worst cases of war related sexual violence including the mass sexual abuse of entire rural communities particularly in the Great Lakes region. In addition to calling for a complete halt to this abuse, there is a need for the systematic study o…
The experience of “medicine companions” to support adherence to antiretroviral therapy
Good adherence is critical for antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa. We report on the characteristics of medicine companions (MCs) chosen by Ugandan patients enrolling on ART, and on how MCs were chosen, and what roles they played. Baseline data on MCs of 1453 participants in a randomized controlled trial comparing facility and home-based delivery of ART in Jinja, Uganda were analyzed. Textual data on experience with MCs were collec…
HIV-1 seroprevalence and risk factors for HIV infection among first-time psychiatric admissions in Uganda
This study investigated HIV seroprevalence and it's correlates among patients with first-time psychiatric admissions to two national referral hospitals in urban Kampala, Uganda. A structured standardised evaluation was used to assess patients for: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV psychiatric diagnosis, socio-demographics, sexual behaviour and HIV status (for those HIV-positive, CDC classification and CD4 cell counts). The HIV-1 seroprevalence…
Health and functional status among older people with HIV/Aids in Uganda
The systematic exploration of health and well being among older people, using eight self-reported and objective health indicators, showed that basic health problems are very common at older ages and poorly addressed by existing health services. HIV-infected older people, however, whether on ART or not yet on ART, had a similar health and functional status as other older people
Condom use among female sex workers in Uganda
Consistent condom use can prevent HIV infection, yet levels of condom use are low in many settings. This paper examines determinants of inconsistent condom use among 905 women enrolled in a high-risk cohort in Kampala, Uganda, who reported sexual intercourse with paying clients in the last month. Among these, 40% participants reported using condoms inconsistently with paying clients in the past month. The most common reason for inconsistent condo…
Validation of the Mini (DSM IV) Tool for the Assessment of Alcohol Dependence among Young People in Northern Tanzania Using the Alcohol Biomarker Phosphatidylethanol (PEth)
The alcohol dependence section of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview questionnaire (MINI) has not been evaluated in young Africans. We applied the MINI in a cross-sectional study of 202 alcohol users from northern-Tanzania, aged 18-24 years (103 male casual workers and 99 students), and validated it against phophatidylethanol (PEth) at a cut-off suggesting heavy chronic alcohol use (≥0.30 μmol/L). Blood was assayed for PEth (16:0/1…
High Levels of Persistent Problem Drinking in Women at High Risk for HIV in Kampala, Uganda
The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of problem drinking in a cohort of women at high-risk of HIV in Kampala, Uganda. Overall, 1027 women at high risk of HIV infection were followed from 2008 to 2013. The CAGE and AUDIT questionnaires were used to identify problem drinkers in the cohort. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to ascertain socio-demographic and behavioural factors. Blood and genital samples were tested…
Incidence and Persistence of Major Depressive Disorder Among People Living with HIV in Uganda
Data on the course of major depressive disorder (MDD) among people living with HIV (PLWH) are needed to inform refinement of screening and interventions for MDD. This paper describes the incidence and persistence rate of MDD in PLWH in Uganda. 1099 ART-naïve PLWH attending HIV clinics in Uganda were followed up for 12 months. MDD was assessed using the DSM IV based Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview with a prevalence for MDD at baselin…
Factors associated with uptake of home-based HIV counselling and testing and HIV care services among identified HIV-positive persons in Masaka, Uganda
We investigated uptake of home-based HIV counselling and testing (HBHCT) and HIV care services post-HBHCT in order to inform the design of future HBHCT programmes. We used data from an open-label cluster-randomised controlled trial which had demonstrated the effectiveness of a post-HBHCT counselling intervention in increasing linkage to HIV care. HBHCT was offered to adults (≥18 years) from 28 rural communities in Masaka, Uganda; consenting HIV-p…
Understanding mobility and sexual risk behaviour among women in fishing communities of Lake Victoria in East Africa
Women exhibited circular and seasonal mobility patterns over varying distances and duration away from their home communities. These mobility patterns may limit women's access to trial/health services and put them at risk of HIV-infection. Interventions should be tailored to take into account mobility patterns of seasonal work observed in this study
Factors Associated with Short and Long Term Mobility and HIV Risk of Women Living in Fishing Communities Around Lake Victoria in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda
Mobility is linked to negative HIV care continuum outcomes. We sought to understand factors associated with short and long term mobility among women in fishing communities in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. From 2018 through 2019 we conducted a cross-sectional survey of women aged 15 years and above, randomly selected from a census of six fishing villages, around Lake Victoria. Data collected included: demographics, risky sexual behaviour on the mos…
Routine health check-ups for adolescents in Mwanza City, Tanzania
Stakeholders were supportive of the proposed routine health check-ups for adolescents, recommending specific health conditions to be screened for in both community and school settings. Based on the above, we plan to conduct implementation research to determine the number of new treatable conditions detected, and the costs of offering such services. In the longer term, evaluation of their health impact and cost-effectiveness will be required to gu…
Medicine (26 works) · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions (20 works) · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (14 works) · Family medicine (14 works) · Population (13 works) · Demography (12 works) · Environmental health (12 works) · Psychiatry (10 works) · Psychological intervention (10 works) · Public health (9 works)