Dr Graeme Hoddinott on site at 1 of 13 field locations (venues for meeting community members) for the OASIS-PN project in the Khomas region, Namibia with members of his project team: Victoria Norbert, Etuhole Iipumbu, Laina Absalom, & Ngomuhapo Shinedima (left to right).

Through the Optimizing Care for Adolescents with Tuberculosis: A Pilot Implementation Study in Namibia (OASIS-PN) project, Dr Graeme Hoddinott and his team are working to ensure that Tuberculosis (TB) services for adolescents and young people are convenient, acceptable, and family-oriented—ultimately providing the first large-scale evidence base on effective, person-centred TB care for 15–24-year-olds in Africa.

Could you briefly introduce yourself and explain what sparked your interest in socio-behavioural science and public health, particularly regarding Tuberculosis?
I am Graeme Hoddinott, a South African global health scientist who recently moved to Sydney. My path started with a passion for helping people understand themselves and be happier—a vague vision that led me to study psychology. Through formative experiences (including the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship), I discovered the power of socio-behavioural research to address real-world problems. Tuberculosis (TB) grabbed my focus because it is preventable and curable yet remains the leading cause of infectious disease death globally. Seeing that my skill set lay in understanding people and their experiences, I knew socio-behavioural science could help tackle TB’s challenges.

Why did you choose to explore TB among Adolescents and Young People (AYP), and what makes this group so vulnerable?
When people talk about TB, they usually focus on adults or very young children. Adolescents and young adults (15–24 years) have been overlooked, even though they are less likely to be diagnosed or complete treatment and more likely to remain infectious longer due to wide social networks. This group faces unique barriers—changes in immune function around puberty, stigma from healthcare services, and structural issues like unstable home environments. Only recently have researchers begun to recognize that 15–24-year-olds are a high-risk priority group.

Can you explain the OASIS-PN project under the ARISE programme and how it aims to optimize TB services for AYP?
OASIS-PN has nine components, but the core idea is gathering comprehensive data on TB care gaps for 15–24-year-olds and then co-developing solutions with them. We are conducting in-depth formative research in high-burden communities, setting up local “listening groups” of young people, reviewing healthcare clinics, and analysing experiences of TB survivors. It is all about ensuring that adolescents’ voices guide the development of policies and interventions that address their realities, which ultimately helps the Namibian Ministry of Health and other stakeholders refine TB services.

 What challenges do adolescents and young people face when accessing TB services, and how does your project address them?
We do not yet fully know all the hurdles, which is why our research is so important. Likely factors include stigma from healthcare providers, difficulty leaving school or work, low suspicion of TB among youth, and mental health challenges like anxiety and depression. Our approach is to gather data on all these potential barriers and then collaborate with young people themselves to co-design strategies that are feasible and acceptable. Essentially, we’re not guessing; we’re asking.

How do you incorporate the voices and experiences of AYP to ensure that services meet their needs?
We’re running “listening groups” of around 15 young people in each high TB-burden community. They meet every two months over 30 months—long enough to form a genuine partnership. We present our latest findings, get their feedback, and work together to create practical outputs, whether that’s a script for a school play on TB awareness, a policy brief for the Ministry, or a guide to reduce stigma in clinics. Their insights and preferences shape every stage of the project.

Have you seen any significant breakthroughs or insights so far in improving TB services for AYP?
It is early days, but one major step is embedding socio-behavioural research right from the start in a new TB research site in Namibia. We are also gaining a clearer picture of family and social networks around young people with TB. On a broader scale, being a fellow of the African Research Initiative for Scientific Excellence (ARISE) programme has allowed me to connect with global TB consortia and leadership networks, champion the inclusion of AYP in research agendas, and attract African PhD students who share this vision.

How has the ARISE programme supported your work in co-developing better TB care for young people?
ARISE has been a complete game-changer. It has given me the resources to establish new collaborations, hire teams, and focus on building local capacity in Namibia—something that could have taken a decade without this support. Thanks to ARISE, we are creating a foundation for socio-behavioural science within the Namibian TB research landscape, and that boosts our capacity to drive change much faster.

About Dr Graeme Hoddinott & OASIS-PN
Dr Hoddinott is a Fellow of the African Research Initiative for Scientific Excellence (ARISE) programme and a Senior Researcher and Socio-behavioural Science Lead at the Desmond Tutu TB Centre, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. 
ARISE is an innovative research and innovation support programme of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), implemented by the AAS in partnership with the African Union (AU) the European Union (EU). ARISE is funded by the European Union and co-funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.