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Longitudinal Studies

Census Rounds

The General Population Cohort (GPC) conducts annual census rounds across 25 villages in Kyamulibwa sub-county, Kalungu district. These censuses form the foundation of a longitudinal surveys that generates high-quality, up-to-date data on HIV trends and NCDs at the community level. This information feeds into national population health dashboards, supporting data triangulation at various levels of decision-making.

The GPC census provides critical insights into the spatial distribution of the population, age and sex structure, and key socio-economic and demographic characteristics of HIV-affected communities over time. It also offers a robust and context-sensitive framework through which the Ministry of Health validates national HIV-related data from multiple sources.

Census rounds are conducted through systematic door-to-door visits by well-trained and equipped enumerators with strong community engagement, research backgrounds and digital data collection tools, depending on available resources. All data is securely stored on dedicated servers with cloud-based backups and centrally managed by the Unit’s Data and Statistics Department. Access to data is granted upon request, subject to data sensitivity and governance protocols.

The GPC census aligns with key national frameworks, including Uganda’s Health Information and Digital Health (HIDH) Strategic Plan 2020/21–2024/25, the Ministry of Health Strategic Plan 2020/21–2024/25, the National Development Plan III, and the Uganda Vision 2040. It also supports the broader principles of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other regional and global health commitments.

Oversight of the census is provided by the Head of GPC and study Coordinator. The Study Coordinator serves as Census Commissioner and is responsible for the overall coordination of census activities. This includes working closely with the GPC statistician and field study teams. The GPC is also represented on local, national, and regional platforms such as , and ensuring timely dissemination and use of data, trends, and insights by key stakeholders.

Survey Rounds

Field research lies at the heart of operations at the General Population Cohort (GPC). Since 1989, the GPC has conducted HIV sero-surveys to track prevalence and incidence within its longitudinal population cohort. Over time, the scope has expanded to include population-level data on hepatitis B and C, SARS-CoV-2, non-communicable diseases, and genetics, reflecting the evolving priorities of global and national health research.

Survey rounds are conducted biennially, offering researchers a well-established platform to embed study-specific questions within a trusted and well-maintained rural cohort. While the GPC initially employed a house-to-house model for census and surveys, since 2012, it has transitioned to a centralised survey approach, where participants visit designated study hubs following the periodic census. This shift has enhanced efficiency while maintaining the integrity of longitudinal follow-up across 25 study villages and one pilot village.

Each survey round is an opportunity to engage communities with timely, policy-relevant, and scientifically rigorous enquiries. Studies led by the Unit, and increasingly by external collaborators, can integrate custom modules into these rounds, helping to answer specific research questions while benefiting from pre-existing community trust, ethical approvals, and logistical structures. This approach allows researchers to generate high-quality data without duplicating community mobilisation or recruitment efforts.

Survey data are collected using secure, mixed-method platforms and centrally managed by the Unit’s Data and Statistics Department. De-identified datasets and question logs are openly accessible via our data portal, subject to appropriate approvals.

Whether your study concerns infectious disease, NCDs, social determinants of health, or genomics, the GPC survey platform offers a scalable and scientifically grounded entry point.

Researchers interested in participating are encouraged to reach out at least six months in advance of a planned round. The Head of GPC oversees survey coordination and is the main point of contact for integration, collaboration, or data access.

Explore available data: Visit our 

Get in touch: Contact the Head of GPC at gpc@mrcuganda.org

Study Hubs 

The GPC’s Study Hubs are a defining feature of its community-first approach. Established in each new study village, these hubs bring the research directly into the community, eliminating the need for long-distance travel by participants and creating a more accessible, inclusive, and responsive research environment.

More than just a convenience, this decentralised model is a deliberate strategy to increase participation, foster local trust, and demystify the research process. By operating from within the community, often by renting homes of respected and recommended local residents, the hubs create a welcoming and familiar setting for study activities. This model is both cost-efficient and ethically grounded, ensuring that the community benefits directly not only from the research outcomes, but also from the research process itself.

For community members, the hubs represent a safe, nearby, and dignified space to engage with science. For research teams, they serve as temporary field stations, fully integrated into the local setting. From these bases, researchers can conduct interviews, administer tests, hold follow-up visits, or run outreach activities with minimal logistical friction.

Study Hubs allow scientists to work within an already mobilized, census-mapped population, benefiting from the groundwork laid by the GPC’s longstanding presence in the region.

For external researchers, these hubs offer a ready-made infrastructure to plug into community-based studies without having to start from scratch. Whether you're piloting an intervention, conducting population surveillance, or deploying a sub-study linked to a broader trial, the hubs reduce operational barriers and anchor your work in a setting already primed for research engagement.

Key features of the GPC Study Hubs:

• Trusted locations, selected in consultation with community leaders
• Increased participation through proximity and familiarity
• Cost-effective model for decentralised data collection
• Built-in goodwill, trust, and ethical standing
• Scalable setup adaptable to various study designs
   

Bring your study closer to the people it seeks to serve.
The GPC’s Study Hubs offer a practical and principled way to conduct field research with depth, dignity, and reach.

To explore how your project could benefit from our Research Hub model, please contact the Head of GPC or reach out to our Community Engagement team at gpc@mrcuganda.org

Clinical Care and Research

GPC Study Clinic

The Adult Study Clinic is the clinical backbone of the GPC’s research ecosystem, a specialized facility designed to serve adult participants enrolled in long-term population-based and clinical studies. Located within the Unit’s compound in Kyamulibwa, the clinic provides routine and protocol-driven clinical assessments, diagnostic services, and ongoing care in a research-focused environment.

Since its inception, the clinic has played a critical role in supporting HIV cohort follow-up, but its scope has expanded significantly to include studies on non-communicable diseases, mental health, ageing, infectious disease outbreaks, and emerging public health threats. This makes the clinic a vital node for understanding the evolving health needs of rural Ugandan populations over time.

A core function of the clinic is to provide medical care to participants of the General Population Cohort (GPC) study who fall ill. This ensures that participants remain engaged and supported throughout the study, helping to improve compliance with research activities. In addition to this, the clinic operates a specialized antiretroviral therapy (ART) service that offers HIV treatment to all individuals living with HIV who require it. This includes access to government-provided ART medications and adherence support, delivered in collaboration with the Ugandan Ministry of Health. The ART clinic also provides a valuable platform for observing treatment outcomes and resistance trends, contributing to ongoing HIV care research and implementation science.

What sets the GPC Study Clinic apart is its integration of rigorous scientific protocols with compassionate, community-aware clinical care. Many participants have engaged with the clinic for decades, making it a rare and invaluable platform for longitudinal study designs that track health trends and treatment responses across the adult lifespan.

In practical terms, the clinic offers:

• Continuity of care for participants involved in long-term studies
• Electronic medical records integrated with research data platforms
• Laboratory-linked diagnostics for high-quality biomarker and disease surveillance
• Trained clinical staff experienced in research protocol implementation
• A confidential, participant-respecting environment tailored to the needs of study populations
   

For external researchers and collaborators, the clinic offers a well-established infrastructure to embed sub-studies, pilot interventions, or conduct nested clinical trials within an already profiled cohort. Its trusted relationships with participants, seamless coordination with the GPC data team, and deep field experience make it an ideal anchor site for ethically grounded, community-connected clinical research.

To discuss collaborative opportunities or study integration, contact the Head of GPC or the Clinic Coordinator at gpc@mrcuganda.org

Community Engagement

At the GPC, community engagement is a core pillar of scientific excellence. We believe that meaningful research in public health must be built on a foundation of mutual respect, transparency, and shared purpose with the communities that enable it. Since 1989, our approach has evolved into a robust model of embedded engagement that continues to set the standard for longitudinal, community-based research in Uganda and beyond.

We work across 25 study villages in Kalungu district, maintaining long-term relationships with diverse community stakeholders, elders, youth, local leaders, health workers, religious institutions, and household members. These relationships are sustained through a dynamic network of Community Advisory Boards (CABs) and trusted community liaisons, coordinated by a dedicated Community Engagement Officer embedded in the day-to-day operations of the cohort.

What Makes Our Approach Unique?

Locally rooted field teams. Many of our field staff are recruited directly from the communities in which we operate. This ensures cultural fluency, strengthens trust, and supports sustained local participation. They are not only data collectors, they are interpreters of context and facilitators of mutual understanding.

Co-creation of research access. From study design to participant recruitment, we engage community voices to shape how research unfolds, ensuring cultural sensitivity, relevance, and mutual value.

Ethical feedback loops. We prioritise regular feedback through community meetings, results-sharing forums, study updates, and ongoing dialogue. This not only closes the loop with participants but enhances accountability and ownership.

On-the-ground responsiveness. Our engagement is not just scheduled, it is responsive. Whether addressing myths, tackling misinformation, or explaining complex research protocols, our teams are trained to adapt and respond in real time, on the ground.

Respect for community experience. We recognise community members as experts of their own realities. Our model honours this knowledge and integrates it into research planning, problem-solving, and implementation.

This approach has made it possible to sustain participation in research for over three decades, even through evolving health crises, such as HIV, Ebola, and COVID-19. It has allowed the GPC to serve not just as a research site, but as a trusted partner in health, knowledge, and impact.

Why It Matters for Researchers

For external researchers, the GPC’s community engagement model offers a rare opportunity to plug into an established ecosystem of trust, access, and ethical research practice. Whether your study involves behavioural interventions, sensitive topics, new technologies, or high participant follow-up demands, our model provides:

• A social license to operate, grounded in long-term credibility
• Direct access to experienced engagement staff and vetted advisory groups
• A ready platform for community consultations, pilot testing, or formative research
• Lessons in contextualised implementation science and how to "do no harm" in practice
• A practical demonstration of inclusive science communication and knowledge translation
   

Are you a researcher or institution looking to conduct truly community-driven research?
Let’s talk about how your work can benefit from the GPC’s embedded engagement systems or explore collaboration opportunities. Contact the GPC Community Engagement Officer at gpc@mrcuganda.org.