What Rakai Health Sciences Program does

Rakai Health Sciences Program (RHSP) is a Uganda-based nonprofit health research and service delivery organization founded in 1988, headquartered in Kalisizo, Kyotera District. Its mission is to improve population health through research that informs policy and service delivery, with primary focus on HIV/AIDS and growing work in non-communicable diseases. The organization operates the Rakai Community Cohort Study (RCCS), one of Africa's largest and most enduring HIV research cohorts, initiated in 1994 and covering 30 continuously surveyed agrarian communities plus 4 HIV-hyperendemic fishing communities, generating over 30 years of longitudinal incidence and prevalence data accessible through a public dashboard.

RHSP's core technology stack includes a SANAS-accredited laboratory with ISO 15189:2022 compliance, including a DPPCR machine for intact HIV proviral DNA detection in cure research, plus electronic medical records systems deployed across 172 health facilities in 12 districts. The organization employs over 300 professionals across research, clinical services, data management, laboratory operations, and community engagement functions, delivering HIV prevention, care, and treatment services through fixed clinics, mobile units, and community health workers.

The business model is grant-funded: RHSP manages 13+ grants and contracts annually totaling more than USD 3.2 million from CDC, NIH, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PEPFAR, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and WHO, supplemented by individual donations. Revenue is supplemented by in-kind collaborations with 15+ premier research institutions including Johns Hopkins, Makerere University, Columbia University, University of Oxford, Karolinska Institute, and Imperial College London. Healthcare services are delivered at no cost to communities as part of research programs; the organization does not charge for clinical services.

Name

Rakai Health Sciences Program

Legal name

Rakai Health Sciences Program

Website

https://rhsp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Rakai Health Sciences Program is a Uganda-based nonprofit founded in 1988 that conducts HIV/AIDS and public health research through the 30-year Rakai Community Cohort Study and delivers community healthcare services across 172 facilities in 12 districts, funded primarily by CDC, NIH, Gates Foundation, and PEPFAR.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HIV/AIDS Research & Public Health Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Health Care and Social Assistance (62)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro primary industry

Real-World Evidence (RWE), HEOR & Epidemiology CROs (HLAGAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

HIV/AIDS Medicine (HLAKAGAB), Real-World Data (RWD) / Real-World Evidence (RWE) & Observational Research Platforms (HLACAOAM), Healthcare Outcomes & Real-World Evidence (RWE) Analytics (BPAHALAN)

Keywords

• HIV/AIDS research
• Public health programs
• Clinical trials research
• Population health surveillance
• Laboratory diagnostics

Headquarters

HQ city

Kampala

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Contracts: RHSP receives funding through grants and contracts from international donors and research institutions. The organization manages over 13 grants and contracts totaling more than USD 3,200,000 annually for HIV/AIDS research and health programs.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and organizational donations support health research, disease prevention, and care initiatives. The organization accepts donations through online payment platforms for supporting scientific innovations, training, and community health programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RHSP conducts long-term HIV/AIDS research and delivers community-based healthcare services in Uganda's Rakai region. Its core offerings include the Rakai Community Cohort Study (RCCS) for longitudinal HIV surveillance, SANAS-accredited laboratory testing, HIV prevention, care and treatment programs, mobile and clinic-based service delivery, and collaborative clinical trials with global research partners.

Product overview

Rakai Health Sciences Program (RHSP) is a premier health research and service delivery organization established in 1988, conducting HIV/AIDS research and community-based healthcare in Uganda. RHSP operates as an integrated portfolio of interconnected research and healthcare services rather than a single unified product. The core offerings include the Rakai Community Cohort Study (RCCS) Dashboard for HIV surveillance data, SANAS-accredited Laboratory Services for diagnostic testing, and Data Management and Statistics Services supporting research operations. Healthcare delivery is provided through HIV Prevention/Care/Treatment Services, RHSP Clinics (including mobile and STI clinics), and Community Engagement Programs. Research capabilities span Longitudinal Population Surveillance, Clinical Research and Trials, and Social and Behavioral Sciences Research. Operational support includes Grants/Science/Training and Finance/Administration departments. Together, these components form a comprehensive research and healthcare ecosystem that generates evidence to inform HIV/AIDS policy and service delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rakai Community Cohort Study (RCCS) Dashboard Interactive online data dashboard enabling researchers globally to explore long-term HIV incidence and prevalence trends in agrarian, trading, and fishing communities in Uganda's Rakai region from 1994 to 2021, featuring data from 30 continuously surveyed communities and 12 survey rounds.
• RHSP Laboratory Services SANAS-accredited laboratory providing comprehensive diagnostic testing services across hematology, clinical chemistry, serology, flow cytometry, molecular biology, and microbiology disciplines. Houses a DPPCR machine for detecting intact proviral DNA for HIV cure research and HIV reservoir quantification.
• HIV Prevention, Care and Treatment Services Comprehensive healthcare initiatives including HIV testing, prevention, treatment, voluntary medical male circumcision programs, and antiretroviral therapy management delivered through clinics and mobile outreach units to communities in Uganda's Rakai region.
• Longitudinal Population Surveillance (RCCS) Longitudinal population-based research programs including the Rakai Community Cohort Study (RCCS), Long-term Impact of Universal Treatment (Long-view Study), and epidemiology research on HIV, non-communicable diseases, and urbanization in Uganda's Rakai region.
• Clinical Research and Trials

Quantifiable outcome

• Landmark Safe Male Circumcision program contributed to reducing HIV transmission rates across Uganda
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Makerere UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding partnership for cutting-edge research, healthcare professional training, and innovative solutions to combat HIV/AIDS. Collaborators include Fred Makumbi and Joseph Kagaayi.
• Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey research partner providing state-of-the-art facilities and expertise in virology and infectious diseases. Collaborators include Tom Lutalo.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Division of Intramural Research at NIAID and ICERcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for groundbreaking research in immunology, virology, and infectious diseases. Explores new avenues for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and vaccine development. Collaborators include Andrew Redd and Chris Whalen.
• Johns Hopkins UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health for interdisciplinary research studies, training next-generation public health leaders, and innovative HIV/AIDS approaches. Collaborators include Aaron Tobian, Caitlin Kennedy, Kate Grabowski, Maria Wawer, Ronald Gray, Oliver Laeyendecker, Teresa Yeh, Thomas Quinn, William Checkley.
• Government of UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary partner providing support and guidance for implementing healthcare policies and initiatives. Collaboration with various ministries and agencies for effective delivery of healthcare services across Uganda.
• Karolinska InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration through joint research projects and exchange programs, sharing knowledge and expertise in HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care. Aligns with RHSP vision for global health equity.
• Cornell UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership enriching research portfolio through collaborative research projects and academic exchanges, leveraging Cornell's multidisciplinary approach for HIV/AIDS research. Collaborators include Brad Jones, Adam Ward, Guin Lee.
• London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicinemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership expanding global research network for HIV/AIDS and tropical medicine research, training, and policy advocacy. Enhances capacity for epidemiology, health economics, and health systems research.
• University of OxfordmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Big Data Institute harnesses data science and analytics for evidence-based HIV/AIDS decision-making. Leverages big data technologies for analyzing large-scale datasets and evaluating intervention impacts. Collaborators include Lucie Abeler-Dorner, Christophe Fraser, David Bonsall.
• Western University - CanadamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership advancing knowledge in HIV/AIDS research through collaborative projects, academic exchanges, and capacity-building initiatives. Focuses on health equity and marginalized populations. Collaborator: Jessica Prodger.
• Columbia University in the City of New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnhances capacity for research, training, and program implementation in HIV/AIDS and global health. Expertise in epidemiology, biostatistics, and health policy. Collaborators include John Santelli, Phillip Kreniske.
• University of TorontomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership leveraging expertise in health sciences, public health, and global health governance to address social, economic, and political determinants of health. Collaborator: Rupert Kaul.
• Imperial College of LondonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration advancing HIV/AIDS research and health systems strengthening through collaborative research projects and academic exchanges. Collaborator: Oliver Ratmann.
• City University of New York (CUNY)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership strengthening collaborative research, knowledge exchange, and innovative public health solutions. CUNY is the largest urban public university system in the United States.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI): Global nonprofit product-development partnership focused on HIV vaccine and antibody R&D, with clinical-trial sites in East Africa. Comparable to RHSP in HIV-cure and prevention research, donor-funded model, and field-site partnerships across Africa.
• Desmond Tutu Health Foundation: South Africa-based HIV/TB research and community-based prevention organization. Comparable to RHSP in combining population cohort research, clinical trial execution, and community health service delivery.
• MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit: Uganda-based (Entebbe) HIV epidemiology and clinical research unit jointly run with the Uganda Virus Research Institute. Closest geographic and operational peer to RHSP, operating a comparable population-cohort-and-clinical-research model in the same country.
• Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI): South Africa-based research institute running one of Africa's largest longitudinal HIV cohorts and conducting translational HIV, TB, and NCD research. Directly comparable to RHSP in operating model (population cohort + clinical research + lab) and target funders (NIH, Wellcome, Gates).
• Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI): Kenya's national medical research institute operating HIV epidemiology, clinical trials, and laboratory programs across East Africa. Comparable to RHSP in role as a national-level HIV research platform with international funding and laboratory infrastructure.
• The Aurum Institute: South Africa-based nonprofit conducting HIV, TB, and NCD clinical research with international collaborators. Comparable in business model as a grant-funded research organization operating clinical trials, labs, and epidemiology programs across Africa.
• Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA): South Africa-based HIV research organization running cohort studies and clinical trials including prevention, treatment, and cure research. Directly comparable to RHSP in HIV cohort + clinical-trial + lab offering funded by NIH and Gates.

Others

• amfAR (Foundation for AIDS Research): US-based HIV research funding and advocacy organization. Comparable in mission and HIV-research focus; differs as a grant-making and advocacy body rather than a field-research platform like RHSP.

Regional players

• Wits Health Consortium: South Africa-based research office of the University of the Witwatersrand running HIV clinical trials, epidemiology studies, and health-services research. Comparable in research-portfolio scope; differs in serving a different (Southern) African geography than RHSP.

Emerging players

• Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard: US-based immunology research institute focused on HIV cure and immune engineering with global field partnerships. Comparable in HIV-cure research focus; differs as an academic institute rather than a community-delivery research platform.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_RHSP

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Rakai Health Sciences Program