Engaging community advisory boards to evaluate evidence-based, family/partner-based interventions for women living with HIV in Vietnam

Women living with HIV (WLWH) in Vietnam face significant structural, social, and interpersonal barriers that hinder their access to care and psychosocial support. While family/partner-based interventions have shown promise globally in improving WLWH health outcomes, few are tailored to the cultural and contextual realities of Vietnam. This study aimed to describe the process of engaging an HIV-focused Community Advisory Board (CAB) in Vietnam to evaluate the contextual fit and feasibility of six evidence-based, family/partner-based interventions for WLWH. Using a community-based participatory research approach, we established a CAB comprising WLWH, their male partners, HIV service providers, and community stakeholders. Interventions were identified through a scoping review and evaluated using the Hexagon Tool across six domains: effectiveness, support, usability, need, fit, and capacity. CAB members provided quantitative ratings and open-ended feedback. Findings showed that interventions focused on mental health and medication adherence, particularly those developed in Asian contexts and delivered by healthcare professionals, received the highest ratings. CAB members highlighted the need for cultural adaptation, concerns about stigma and disclosure, and emphasized small-group or dyadic formats as most appropriate. These findings demonstrate the value of CAB engagement in evaluating and selecting evidence-based family/partner-based interventions for future adaptation to support WLWH in Vietnam.