Conference abstract
Lessons learned from the clinic-community collaborations to support adolescents and young people living with HIV
Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2024:21(12).29
Apr 2024.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2024.21.12.2343
Archived on: 29 Apr 2024
Contact the corresponding author
Keywords: Clinic-community, adolescents, young people, HIV
Oral presentation
Lessons learned from the clinic-community collaborations to support adolescents and young people living with HIV
Karesma Mushi1,&, Phinehas Mussai1, Gordon Muchunguzi1
1READY project, REPSSI, Tanzania
&Corresponding author
Introduction: HIV is one of the top ten causes of death among adolescents. Addressing mortality amongst adolescents and young people living with HIV (A&YPLHIV) and ensuring positive health outcomes requires joint efforts between clinics and communities. The response must, therefore, ensure that community-based services work effectively with health systems.
Methods: the READY+ model places A&YPLHIV (ages 10-24) at the center, offering clinical services at clinics and MHPSS by community-based organizations (CBOs) in communities. Clinics and CBOs collaborate closely to ensure comprehensive service delivery. Community Adolescent Treatment Supporters (CATS) and Young Mother Mentors (YMMs) play a pivotal linkage role in supporting A&YPLHIV with adherence, relationships, and MHPSS under the supervision of support from both health providers and CBOs.
Results: observations showed that CBOs and clinics appreciate the collective capacity gained from working together to ensure positive outcomes for YPLHIV. Their joint efforts also provide increased support to CATS and YMMs, a cadre of CCW both values. Challenges include limited spaces, resources, and time to meet, plan, and monitor services. Reports from IPs show that health providers and CBO staff are vulnerable to hierarchies of power. Some health providers undervalue the role played by CBO, leading to breakdowns in communication, poor support for CATS and YMMs, and the provision of services for A&YPLHIV.
Conclusion: collaboration between health providers and CATS/YMMs builds operational bridges for joint planning and shared resources, enabling them to adopt a common vision. These are key to comprehensive HIV programming and will contribute to improved health outcomes for A&YPLHIV.
Lessons learned from the clinic-community collaborations to support adolescents and young people living with HIV
Karesma Mushi1,&, Phinehas Mussai1, Gordon Muchunguzi1
1READY project, REPSSI, Tanzania
&Corresponding author
Introduction: HIV is one of the top ten causes of death among adolescents. Addressing mortality amongst adolescents and young people living with HIV (A&YPLHIV) and ensuring positive health outcomes requires joint efforts between clinics and communities. The response must, therefore, ensure that community-based services work effectively with health systems.
Methods: the READY+ model places A&YPLHIV (ages 10-24) at the center, offering clinical services at clinics and MHPSS by community-based organizations (CBOs) in communities. Clinics and CBOs collaborate closely to ensure comprehensive service delivery. Community Adolescent Treatment Supporters (CATS) and Young Mother Mentors (YMMs) play a pivotal linkage role in supporting A&YPLHIV with adherence, relationships, and MHPSS under the supervision of support from both health providers and CBOs.
Results: observations showed that CBOs and clinics appreciate the collective capacity gained from working together to ensure positive outcomes for YPLHIV. Their joint efforts also provide increased support to CATS and YMMs, a cadre of CCW both values. Challenges include limited spaces, resources, and time to meet, plan, and monitor services. Reports from IPs show that health providers and CBO staff are vulnerable to hierarchies of power. Some health providers undervalue the role played by CBO, leading to breakdowns in communication, poor support for CATS and YMMs, and the provision of services for A&YPLHIV.
Conclusion: collaboration between health providers and CATS/YMMs builds operational bridges for joint planning and shared resources, enabling them to adopt a common vision. These are key to comprehensive HIV programming and will contribute to improved health outcomes for A&YPLHIV.
