Invited Speaker
Gabriel Obokon
Senior Technical Specialist
HIV Prevention, Care and Treatment
Caritas Nigeria–US PEPFAR/CDC ACCESS Program.
This presentation will explore the role of social capital as a key social determinant of sustained treatment outcomes among people living with HIV (PLHIV) receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in South-Eastern Nigeria. Drawing on findings from a hospital-based case-control study involving 1,202 PLHIV, the session will examine how social networks, trust, community participation, and social support influence long-term HIV treatment outcomes beyond biomedical interventions alone. Attendees will gain insight into the level of social capital among PLHIV and its association with HIV Care and Treatment outcome.
The presentation will highlight compelling evidence on how social capital were nearly shapes favourable treatment outcomes, even after adjusting for other factors. It will conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for HIV programmes, policymakers, healthcare providers, and community organizations, emphasizing how strengthening social capital can improve treatment adherence, enhance long-term viral suppression, and contribute to achieving global HIV epidemic control targets.
About the presenter:
Gabriel Omen Obokon is a Public Health Researcher and Epidemiologist with over ten years of experience in implementation science, epidemiological research, health systems strengthening, and the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of public health interventions in resource-limited settings. He currently serves as the Senior Technical Specialist, HIV Prevention, Care and Treatment with the Caritas Nigeria–US PEPFAR/CDC ACCESS Program in Abia State, where he provides technical leadership for HIV prevention, care, and treatment interventions within Nigeria’s national HIV program.
Gabriel holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Calabar, a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Child and Adolescent Health from the University of Ibadan, a Certificate in Global Health from Imperial College London, a PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), and a Certificate in Gender and Sexuality from University College London.
His research focuses on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, maternal and child health, implementation science, health outcomes research, and the social determinants of health. He has extensive experience utilizing large-scale programmatic and population-based datasets to investigate disease patterns, treatment outcomes, mortality, and healthcare service utilization. A recipient of the UNESCO–MERCK Young African Researcher Awards in 2015 and 2016, and the Commonwealth Professional Fellowship Awards in 2015 and 2025. He is committed to translating research into policy and practice to strengthen health systems and improve health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. His work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international scientific conferences.
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About Our Webinar Series
This event is part of our regular webinar sessions for social capital researchers including PhD/master students. These sessions include invited presentations from prominent scholars as well as presentations by PhD students and experts in professional practice.
For social capital researchers, these sessions are an opportunity to hear about the latest social capital research and insights from scholars working on the concept. They can be a great way to connect with people, to get advice, discuss ideas or issues, get suggestions for literature to read, or you can just listen.
Are you researching social capital and want to present your research? Click here for more information and to submit a proposal.
Generally, presentations can be 20 to 30 mins. The content of your presentation will depend on your research stage.
