Coach Mpilo: Reaching Men with HIV

Addressing the Challenge of Reaching Men 

Matchboxology (MBX), in partnership with PSI and Ipsos, is developing new approaches to deliver health services that are more accessible to men, as part of a project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This initiative aims to break the cycle of HIV transmission by re-engaging men who have not been reached by previous HIV intervention methods.

Human-Centred Design and Iterative Pilots 

MBX designed and facilitated Eureka workshops with men and stakeholders, leading to the development of prototypes, some of which are currently being piloted. MBX's role in the pilots involved continuously iterating the 'product' using an adaptive implementation approach. This approach enabled the refinement of the prototypes based on user feedback.

Successful Innovations and Future Pilots 

Two successful pilots include the 'Coach Mpilo' (a reimagined peer navigator) and the 'B-OK bottles' (a tool to help visualise the Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U) concept). Coach Mpilo has been incorporated into the 2021 USAID Country Operations Plan. A second three-year funding cycle will facilitate the piloting of additional prototypes. The project's URL is listed here. 

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