Donor: Aidsfonds
Overview
The Youth Innovation Project was a one-year pilot initiative aimed at addressing HIV prevention among adolescents and young women, especially students in Kitwe, Zambia. It focused on enhancing access to prevention tools such as PrEP, PEP, condoms, HIV self-testing, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services. Given the high HIV prevalence among youth aged 15-24, particularly girls, the project aimed to overcome barriers like inadequate knowledge, stigma, and lack of confidentiality in healthcare settings.
Key Activities
- Awareness Campaigns: Conducting campaigns in schools across the Copperbelt province and engaging online to promote HIV prevention.
- Distribution of Prevention Products: Providing essential prevention tools, including self-testing kits.
- Surveys: Assessing HIV testing practices among university students to inform future interventions.
Objectives
- The project aimed to improve HIV awareness and prevention among adolescents and young women in Kitwe, especially students.
- Increased awareness and access to HIV self-testing kits and a heightened demand for SRHR.
- Reduction in stigma and discrimination faced by young people living with HIV and pregnant teenagers.
Impact
- Increased Awareness: Educated 2,183 young people on HIV prevention, self-testing, and SRHR.
- Broad Reach: Engaged 152,090 adolescents and young women through online platforms, enhancing community-based distribution of prevention products and self-testing services.
- Self-Testing Kits: Distributed 1,583 self-testing kits to adolescents and young women via peer educators and the youth hub.
- Educational Materials: Developed and distributed 2,000 educational materials to improve knowledge about self-testing.
- University Survey: Conducted a survey on HIV testing practices among 200 university students in Kitwe District, gathering valuable insights for future interventions.
Time frame: November 2023 – September 2024
Thematic area: Health and Wellbeing
