UNIverse - Public Research Portal

Fabian Räber studied medicine at the ETH Zurich and the University of Basel and is currently an MD/PhD candidate in clinical research at the University of Basel. His doctoral research focuses on developing service delivery models for HIV and non-communicable diseases in rural Lesotho. He has a keen interest in infectious disease, internal medicine, and public health and is dedicated to advancing healthcare solutions in resource-limited settings.

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Selected Projects & Collaborations

ComBaCaL: Community-based Chronic Care Lesotho

Research Project | 13 Project Members

Community-based Chronic Care Lesotho is a five-year implementation research project addressing chronic disease care in remote villages in rural Lesotho. In a cohort of over 100 villages we assess through cluster-randomized trials within cohorts (TwiCs) different innovative models where ehealth assisted lay community health workers provide care for hypertension, diabetes and HIV.

Hair Salon Project

Research Project | 17 Project Members

In settings such as Lesotho, where young women face enormous HIV and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges, novel and accessible spaces to complement traditional health facilities are urgently needed. HIV- and pregnancy-related complications are still the leading cause of death among young women in high HIV prevalence settings in Southern Africa.

Hair salons may offer a safe, accessible, trusted community space to engage young women and address barriers related to HIV/SRH.

In a first step, we concluded an innovative cross-sectional survey – co-designed and conducted in collaboration with citizen scientists – and gathered data among 100 hair stylists and 300 clients across Lesotho. The findings were complemented by qualitative research, narrative storytelling and a video documentary.

In a next step, we are designing and implementing a pilot to evaluate a first HIV/SRH service intervention at a few hair salons in Lesotho.