Members of the USAID supported Teen club helping youth in Namibia

USAID/Namibia

More than 30 teenagers have gathered at the Andara District Hospital in Namibia’s rural Kavango East region. Here, they can socialize and share their experiences around antiretroviral medications, self-esteem, mental health, teenage pregnancies, abuse and other issues many HIV-positive teens have on their minds.

There are an estimated 17,000 young people living with HIV in Namibia. Most of these children have lost one or both of their parents to HIV. Many more are abandoned or shunned because of stigma and discrimination.

While providing antiretroviral therapy (ART) services to children at the hospital, local health workers found that adolescents living with HIV did not adhere to their treatment regime as well as adults, which resulted in higher viral loads. Medical staff also realized that adolescents, especially orphans and learners, struggled to keep their ART clinic appointments.

This could be because they do not disclose their HIV status to others, or lack of support by their guardians. It could also be because of stigma and discrimination, or due to the long distance from home or school to the clinic.

Whatever the reasons, local health workers wanted to help.

HIV care is more than just ART

That is why Andara district decided to not only equip health workers with the skills and knowledge they need to provide specialized services to adolescents, but also to establish teen clubs as a soundboard for young patients to create trust and a sense of togetherness.

The district, in collaboration with the U.S. Government-funded USAID HIV Clinical Services Technical Assistance Project and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare conducted a series of trainings to make sure Andara’s health workers are ready to provide the care these young patients need. The trainings were attended by the primary health care supervisor, nurses, health assistants, and the nurse leading the teen club, and covered topics such as HIV disclosure for children.

When Andara district and the newly trained health workers introduced the teen clubs in 2017, initial attendance was low. But slowly, positive feedback from attendees spread. Now, the Andara District Hospital hosts a teen club meeting every month, led by a health professional and a community facilitator, where more than 30 kids between the ages of 10 and 19 gather.