Protecting Highly Vulnerable Children (HVC) Activity

Overview

The Protecting Highly Vulnerable Children (HVC) Activity was a five-year initiative led by Tulane University in partnership with USAID South Africa, South African government agencies, and community organizations to strengthen HIV prevention, care, and support services for families affected by HIV. The project involved a unique combination of implementation research, data systems support, digital innovation, and rigorous evaluation to improve the quality, reach, and sustainability of HIV programming across South Africa.

Why This Matters

South Africa continues to face one of the world's largest HIV epidemics, requiring coordinated prevention, treatment, and support services. Delivering high-quality programs at national scale requires strong data systems, evidence-based interventions, and continuous learning to ensure services reach those who need them most.

Our Approach

Tulane worked alongside government and community partners to strengthen HIV programming by:

• Developing and evaluating innovative interventions for adolescents and caregivers, including the Let's Talk family-strengthening program.
• Designing digital learning platforms to support workforce training and implementation at scale.
• Conducting implementation research and longitudinal studies to improve adolescent HIV programming.
• Developing and managing CBIMS.Net, a national mobile and web-based monitoring and case management platform that supported more than 140 implementing organizations and tracked over 24 million HIV-related services, strengthening accountability and data-driven decision-making across South Africa's HIV response.
• Providing technical assistance to strengthen monitoring, evaluation, and data-driven decision-making across implementing organizations.

Impact

The HVC Activity strengthened South Africa's HIV response through research, innovation, and health systems strengthening. The project expanded access to evidence-based HIV prevention programs for more than 100,000 adolescents and caregivers and developed national digital monitoring systems used by community-based and governmental implementing organizations, supporting high-quality data for decision-making. Research findings informed program improvements, policy discussions, and peer-reviewed publications, while training, technical assistance, and digital workforce development helped build sustainable local capacity.

Research Partnerships

Student Engagement

Students contributed to implementation research, dissertation projects, publications, and global field experiences, including MPH practicum placements supporting the Let's Talk Digital curriculum and graduate research in South Africa.

Justine T. | International Practicum
“Supporting the transformation of a group-based adolescent HIV prevention program into a scalable digital intervention was both a privilege and a profound learning experience. With the growing need for sustainable digital health solutions, especially in contexts facing funding challenges, I’m proud that this work is already making an impact.”

Jared Christian | Master's Research Assistant
Simone Skeen | Doctoral Research Assistant

Read more about the student experience.

Featured Publications

Thurman TR, Skeen SJ, Luckett B, Schley A. Feasibility and acceptability of Let's Talk Digital, a blended learning family strengthening and sexual reproductive health intervention for adolescents and their caregivers in South Africa. AIDS Care. 2025;37(12):2124–2138. View publication.

Thurman TR, Luckett B, Zani B, Nice J, Taylor TM. Can Support Groups Improve Treatment Adherence and Reduce Sexual Risk Behavior among Young People Living with HIV? Results from a Cohort Study in South Africa. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease. 2024;9(7):162. View publication.

Nice J, Thurman TR, Luckett B, Zani B. Disclosure and Experiences of HIV-Related Stigma among Adolescents and Young Adults Living with HIV in South Africa. AIDS and Behavior. 2024;28(12):4158–4166. View publication.

Nice J, Saltzman L, Thurman TR, Zani B. Latent class analysis of ART barriers among adolescents and young adults living with HIV in South Africa. AIDS Care. 2024;36(sup1):45–53. View publication.

In the News

Tulane program 'Let's Talk Digital' provides scalable family planning intervention | Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine