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Welcome to the Quit4Life+ Study

Quit4Life+ is a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of both Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and a tailored SMS-based tobacco use cessation intervention among people living with HIV in Uganda and Zambia.

Why focus on tobacco cessation among people living with HIV

While AIDS-related morbidity and mortality among people living with HIV (PLWH) have decreased with the introduction of combination antiviral therapy (ART), HIV continues to kill nearly 1 million people annually, the majority of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. Tobacco use among PLWH contributes substantially to the HIV burden, with nearly a quarter of AIDS-related deaths attributable to smoking. While there is substantial evidence supporting interventions to help tobacco users in the general population quit, little is available relevant to the challenges facing HIV+ tobacco users, especially those living in low-income African countries, including higher rates of depressive symptoms, greater use of alcohol and illegal substances, lack of awareness about tobacco’s effects on HIV treatment, and social isolation resulting from HIV stigma.

Our Team

  • Makerere University School of Public Health, Center for Tobacco Control in Africa

  • University of Maryland School of Public Health

 

  • University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine

 

  • University of Zambia, Center for Primary Care Research

quit4life team.avif

Contact Us

Global Research, Implementation, and Training Lab (GRIT Lab)

University of Maryland School of Public Health

4200 Valley Dr

College Park, MD 20742

Heather Wipfli, PhD

hwipfli@umd.edu

©2026 by GRIT Lab. Powered and secured by Wix

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