Involving young people in the care and support of people living with HIV and AIDS in Zambia

Type Report
Title Involving young people in the care and support of people living with HIV and AIDS in Zambia
Author(s)
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2004
Publisher Population Council Washington, DC
City Washington
Country/State DC
URL http://hivaidsclearinghouse.unesco.org/search/resources/zambiacsfinalhigh.pdf
Abstract
Horizons, in collaboration with CARE International and Family Health Trust, conducted a quasiexperimental intervention study to determine which care and support needs of people living with HIV and AIDS and their families could be met by trained youth, and to establish whether youth engaged in formalized care and support activities would increase their adoption of protective behaviors or reduce the stigma faced by members of AIDS-affected households. The study was conducted in semi-urban and rural communities in two provinces of northern Zambia located 700 to 1,000 kilometers from Lusaka. Thirty clubs in Luapula Province served as intervention sites; an equal number in Northern Province served as comparison sites. All 60 clubs in both intervention and comparison areas received basic training in club management and HIV prevention, as well as materials for recreational activities (e.g., footballs, netballs, drums). Clubs in the intervention area also received enhanced training in care and support, with an emphasis on how to network with existing resources and services, such as NGOs, programs for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), clinics, and home-based care (HBC) teams. In the intervention area, 300 youth club members received training in care and support according to a locally generated curriculum covering a wide variety of topics relating to the needs of HIVpositive people and their families, including a field component and follow-on training and support. Each club received two bicycles to help with transport needs, and a regularly replenished care kit containing items to help the caregivers treat sores and prevent infections. Quantitative surveys and qualitative data collection exercises were carried out before and after the intervention. Participatory dissemination workshops were conducted with club members and stakeholders to shed light on the emerging results.

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