Designing Evidence-Based Preventive Interventions That Reach More People, Faster, and with More Impact in Global Contexts

Abstract

This article demonstrates the substantial similarities globally among preventive, evidence-based interventions (EBIs) designed to address HIV by providing four examples: an HIV family-focused intervention, the Community Popular Opinion Leader intervention, a South African maternal/child health program, and an EBI for sex workers in India. Each identified the key problems in the target population, utilized well-established social cognitive theories, created processes for engaging the target population, set standards for staff accountability, and included routine data collection to facilitate iterative program improvements over time. Building EBIs based on these common, robust features is an alternative design strategy to replication with fidelity. These components provide a road map for researchers, especially those using new technologies, and for local providers seeking to deliver EBIs that match their clients and communities needs. Technology platforms and community organizations may serve as resources for designers of the next generation of EBIs, offering an alternative to repeatedly validating the same interventions and replicating them with fidelity.