Peter S Navario
Peter S Navario
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Clinical Associate Professor of Public Health Policy and Management
Chief Executive Officer of HealthRight International
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Professional overview
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Dr. Peter Navario has extensive field experience establishing, monitoring, and evaluating HIV/AIDS treatment programs and health system capacity building across sub-Saharan Africa. He was the chair of the Botswana Ministry of Health’s National HIV/AIDS Health Professional Training Committee and lead evaluator of the World Bank’s Treatment Access Programme in Burkina Faso. As a Fellow for Global Health at the Council of Foreign Relations, he published, lectured, convened, and facilitated meetings around scaling up access to HIV/AIDS treatment with leaders from many organizations, including the Joint United Nations HIV/AIDS Program (UNAIDS). He then served as a Technical Advisor to the UNAIDS on numerous initiatives, including the the Post-2015 Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, the 2011 UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, and the UN Secretary General’s Global Strategy on Women’s and Children’s Health.
In Ukraine, Dr. Navario researched substance use and sexual HIV risk behaviors of displaced young adults from Kiev and Donestsk regions in pre-conflict, transitions, and camp settings, in order to identify risk factors in each setting. In Kenya, he is assessing the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of pre-exposure prophylaxis on HIV risk among male sex workers.
As the Chief Executive Officer of HealthRight International, Dr. Navario partners with NYU on global health programming and research, training opportunities for future public health leaders, and thought leadership. Additionally, he is on the editorial board of the journal Global Health Governance, and has written on HIV/AIDS policy and other global health issues in various publications, including the Lancet, the Huffington Post, cfr.org, and Global Health Magazine.
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Education
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BA, Psychology and French (Honors), Leigh University, Bethlehem, PAMPH, Global Health, Yale University, New Haven, CTPhD, Health Economics, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Areas of research and study
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Applied EconomicsCost EffectivenessGlobal HealthHealth EconomicsHealth of Marginalized PopulationHIV/AIDSHuman RightsPublic Health Policy
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Publications
Publications
Understanding Domestic Violence Among Older Women in Ukraine: A Secondary Analysis Using Gender-Based Violence Screening Data
AbstractRushwan, S., Skipalska, H., Capasso, A., Navario, P., & Castillo, T. (n.d.).Publication year
2024Journal title
Journal of Interpersonal ViolenceVolume
39Issue
7Page(s)
1760-1784AbstractThis secondary descriptive analysis sought to understand Gender-Based Violence (GBV), with a focus on Domestic Violence (DV), among older women in Ukraine’s conflict setting. Analysis was conducted on a subsample of 150 women aged 60+ from GBV-Information Management System intake data of 12,480 GBV survivors. Fisher’s exact tests were used to compare differences in GBV incidents among women who experienced DV compared to other types of GBV. Using United Nations humanitarian and aging frameworks, qualitative analysis was completed following two rounds of coding. Sixty percent of women aged ≥60 experienced DV. Local women were more likely to experience DV versus displaced women (85.6% vs. 48.3%, p <.001). Six core themes emerged: experiencing versus witnessing violence, intergenerational conflict, livelihoods, alcohol, humiliation, and neglect. Deeper understanding of DV among older women in humanitarian settings is needed, strengthening a call to action to prioritize protection against, and prevention of, GBV more broadly among this marginalized group.Editorial: Global mental health among marginalized communities in pandemic emergencies
Navario, P. S., Upadhaya, N., Hall, B. J., & Yang, L. H. (n.d.).Publication year
2023Journal title
Frontiers in Public HealthVolume
11Exploratory qualitative study examining acceptability of strategies to improve access to substance use treatment and HIV prevention services for young adults on probation in Ukraine
AbstractDauria, E., Skipalska, H., Gopalakrishnan, L., Savenko, O., Sabadash, L., Tolou-Shams, M., Flanigan, T., Navario, P., & Castillo, T. P. (n.d.).Publication year
2022Journal title
BMJ openVolume
12Issue
11AbstractObjective Adults <30 years' of age experience elevated HIV-rates in Ukraine. Young adults (YA) involved in the criminal justice system (CJS) are at an increased HIV-risk given elevated rates of substance use, engagement in high-risk sexual behaviour and insufficient healthcare access. The objective of this exploratory study was to investigate the acceptability of strategies to refer and link CJS-involved YA to HIV-prevention and substance use treatment services from CJS settings. Design We conducted qualitative individual interviews with CJS-involved YA (18-24 years), and CJS stakeholders. Interviews were guided by the Social Ecological Model. Interviews with YA explored substance use and sexual behaviour, and acceptability of strategies to link YA to HIV-prevention and substance use treatment services from CJS. Stakeholder interviews explored system practices addressing HIV-prevention and substance use and addiction. Data were analysed using Inductive Thematic Analysis. Setting Data were collected in three locales, prior to the 2022 Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Participants Thirty YA and 20 stakeholders. Results Most YA were men, reported recent injection drug use and were M age =23 years. YA were receptive to linkage to HIV-prevention services from CJS; this was shaped by self-perceived HIV-risk and lack of access to HIV-prevention services. YA were less receptive to being referred to substance use treatment services, citing a lack of self-perceived need and mistrust in treatment efficacy. Stakeholders identified multilevel contextual factors shaping acceptability of HIV-prevention and substance use treatment from CJS (eg, stigma). Conclusions Findings should be reviewed as a historical record of the pre-conflict context. In that context, we identified strategies that may have been used to help curtail the transmission of HIV in a population most-at-risk, including CJS-involved YA. This study demonstrates that improving access to substance use treatment and HIV-prevention services via CJS linkage were acceptable if provided in the right conditions (eg, low or no-cost, confidential).Patterns of Gender-Based Violence in Conflict-Affected Ukraine: A Descriptive Analysis of Internally Displaced and Local Women Receiving Psychosocial Services
AbstractCapasso, A., Skipalska, H., Chakrabarti, U., Guttmacher, S., Navario, P., & Castillo, T. P. (n.d.).Publication year
2022Journal title
Journal of Interpersonal ViolenceVolume
37Issue
23Page(s)
NP21549-NP21572AbstractSince 2014, a protracted armed conflict has afflicted eastern Ukraine, resulting in the displacement of over 1.4 million residents. The resulting humanitarian crisis has placed women, particularly displaced women, at greater risk of gender-based violence (GBV). In Ukraine, reports of GBV were higher following the start of the conflict (22.4% in 2014 vs. 18.3% in 2007), with displaced women suffering from GBV nearly three times more than non-displaced residents (15.2% vs. 5.3%). Many GBV incidents in Ukraine have been reported along the “contact line,” the border separating government from non-government-controlled areas. This study compares types of GBV experienced by displaced and local (non-displaced) women receiving psychosocial support in order to identify the gaps in services during a time of conflict. Data was collected by mental healthcare providers from 11,826 women (25.5% displaced; 74.5% local) aged 15 to 69 receiving psychosocial services in five conflict-affected regions from February 2016 to June 2017. Group differences were assessed using Pearson’s chi-squared or Fisher’s exact tests for categorical variables and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests for continuous variables. Overall, almost half of the women experienced intimate partner violence and psychological abuse. Compared to residents, displaced women were more likely to report non-domestic GBV incidents involving sexual and economic violence. Almost 8% of violent incidents against displaced women occurred at checkpoints or at reception centers for internally displaced persons (IDP) and 20% were perpetrated by armed men. Consistent with the literature, this study suggests that displaced women are more vulnerable to attacks by persons outside the home and by armed groups. Our findings underscore the need to expand violence prevention programs to address the unique vulnerabilities of displaced women before, during, and after displacement. Programs should be tailored to prevent violence within and outside the home. Increased prevention efforts are needed in areas with high concentrations of armed men, along the contact line, and at IDP reception centers to protect displaced women. This is particularly urgent in the context of increased GBV due to COVID-19.Prioritising mental health and psychosocial services in relief and recovery efforts in Ukraine
Shi, W., Navario, P., & Hall, B. J. (n.d.). In The Lancet Psychiatry (1–).Publication year
2022Volume
9Issue
6Page(s)
e27Factors associated with experiencing sexual violence among female gender-based violence survivors in conflict-afflicted eastern Ukraine
AbstractCapasso, A., Skipalska, H., Guttmacher, S., Tikhonovsky, N. G., Navario, P., & Castillo, T. P. (n.d.).Publication year
2021Journal title
BMC public healthVolume
21Issue
1AbstractBackground: Since 2014, over 1.6 million people have been forcibly displaced by the conflict in eastern Ukraine. In 2014, 8% of reproductive-aged women in Ukraine had ever experienced sexual violence, compared to 5% in 2007. This increase was driven by non-domestic sexual violence. Our study examined characteristics of women in eastern Ukraine receiving psychosocial services following sexual violence compared to survivors of other forms of gender-based violence. Methods: Intake data collected between February 2016 and June 2017 by psychosocial service providers in five conflict-affected areas of Ukraine from women, aged 15–49, (N = 8525), was analyzed. Descriptive analysis and covariate adjusted logistic and negative binomial regressions were used to identify socioeconomic, incident and access to services factors associated with having experienced sexual violence compared to other forms of violence. Results: Among this sample of survivors receiving psychosocial services, 2.6% (n = 220) reported experiencing sexual violence. A majority of sexual violence acts reported were committed by non-domestic perpetrators (61.4%); followed by intimate partners (25.9%). Almost half of sexual violence cases occurred at home (49.1%). Experiencing sexual violence was positively associated with being younger, single and internally displaced, and negatively with engaging in unpaid labor, such as childcare. Women who experienced sexual violence delayed seeking care by 4 days compared to other gender-based violence survivors. Sexual violence survivors were less likely than physical violence survivors to have reported the incident prior to receiving care (adjusted odds ratio = 0.39; 95% confidence interval = 0.28–0.54). Conclusions: Non-domestic and intimate partner sexual violence were both prevalent in our sample. Compared to survivors disclosing other types of gender-based violence, sexual violence survivors appear to face unique barriers to reporting and accessing timely care. Prevention and outreach programs tailored to the specific vulnerabilities, such as displacement status, and needs of sexual violence survivors in conflict settings are urgently needed.From the front lines of the global AIDS fight
Navario, P., & Whiteside, A. (n.d.).Publication year
2010Journal title
Global Health MagazineHIV/AIDS in South Africa: Improved Prognosis
Navario, P. (n.d.).Publication year
2010Journal title
Foreign AffairsSpecial report on the state of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Global Health Magazine
Navario, P., Bekker, L. G., & Blecher, M. (n.d.).Publication year
2010Journal title
Global Health MagazineZimbabwe's second wave?
Navario, P. (n.d.).Publication year
2010Journal title
The Huffington PostHIV Dollars: boon or black hole?
Navario, P. (n.d.).Publication year
2009Journal title
Foreign AffairsNutrition and HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa: An overview
AbstractAnabwani, G., & Navario, P. (n.d.).Publication year
2005Journal title
NutritionVolume
21Issue
1Page(s)
96-99AbstractHIV/AIDS is most prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa where, exacerbated by the presence of other common conditions such as malnutrition and opportunistic infections, it is wreaking devastation on families, communities, and nations. Just as epidemics vary by country, so do national responses to this complex emergency. This is illustrated by the cases of Botswana, South Africa, and Uganda. Nutritional and micronutrient deficiencies play an important additive role in immune degradation and impaired development in children. Careful implementation of antiretroviral drugs, complemented by simultaneous efforts to ensure proper nutrition among HIV-infected children and adults are essential components of an effective response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa and elsewhere.Treatment and research options for paediatric HIV infection in South Africa: Towards improving care
AbstractGray, C., Barker, P., Navario, P., Eley, B., Mufhandu, K., Tiemessen, C., & Meyers, T. (n.d.).Publication year
2005Journal title
Southern African Journal of HIV MedicineIssue
20Page(s)
42-44AbstractThis satellite meeting at the 2nd South African AIDS Conference was organised to facilitate and inspire paediatric networking opportunities within South Africa and Africa. The meeting was collaborative venture between recipients of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation International Leadership Award (Clive Gray and Tammy Meyers), the African Network for the Care of Children Affected by AIDS (ANECCA) and the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI). The treatment needs of many HIV-infected children in South Africa are not being met, the antiretrovial rollout for children lags behind that of adults, and there are many unanswered clinical and scientific questions that should be addressed by local researchers and scientists to improve paediatric care. The overall purpose of this satellite meeting was to introduce clinical and research networks that are working towards improving the care for HIV-infected children in Africa. More specifically, the objectives of the meeting were: ■ to promote awareness pf paediatric networks functioning in Africa ■ to link seemingly disparate areas of knowledge around treatment and research in immunology and health care, and ■ to facilitate networking through established African paediatric networks.Election 2000: a new administration steps up to the plate.
Navario, P. (n.d.).Publication year
2001Journal title
IAPAC monthlyVolume
7Issue
2Page(s)
42-43Medical marijuana: shifting the paradigm.
Navario, P. (n.d.).Publication year
2001Journal title
IAPAC monthlyVolume
7Issue
3Page(s)
76-79Syringe exchange programs: why won't US leaders do the right thing?
Navario, P. (n.d.).Publication year
2000Journal title
IAPAC monthlyVolume
6Issue
12