KidzAlive Mozambique: Unlocking New Avenues for Child-Focused HIV Services Across Africa
In line with our unwavering commitment to expand our impact across the African continent, we're delighted to officially announce the launch of KidzAlive in Mozambique.
This move not only builds upon our established successes in South Africa and Nigeria but also marks a new, exciting chapter in our mission to enhance the lives of children and healthcare providers in these regions.
Central to our initiative is the KidzAlive Foundations of Working with Children, HIV testing services, Disclosure and Adherence Support course — commonly referred to as the FHDA Course.
This collection of modules is tailored to provide a holistic, child-focused approach to healthcare, especially concentrating on HIV disclosure, testing, and adherence support.
Our initial foray into Mozambique began with a pilot project in the Inhambane province in March this year.
Thanks to financial backing from Paediatric-Adolescent Treatment Africa (PATA), we translated the KidzAlive FHDA Course and job aids into Portuguese and trained 23 healthcare workers.
This pivotal step has empowered these professionals to advance their proficiency in delivering child-friendly HIV education, disclosure, and adherence support. The pilot acted as an invaluable learning experience, helping us to iron out any issues with the translated materials.
Embarking on Phase 2, generously funded by Aidsfonds, marks an expansive approach to our existing efforts. This phase incorporates key learnings and refinements from Phase 1 and focuses on the training of healthcare workers on the updated FHDA Course.
Moreover, a mentorship programme will be introduced to provide ongoing support and skill development for these professionals.
We are partnering strategically with N’weti, a Mozambique-based organisation dedicated to healthcare betterment, to accomplish these goals. In addition, we are in the midst of translating the KidzAdherence Support Group course. Upon completion, training will be rolled out to equip healthcare workers with the skills to implement adherence support groups effectively for children and their caregivers.
We aim to address this dire situation by equipping healthcare workers with the essential tools and training to make a difference. We are confident that by boosting the number of providers proficient in child-friendly methods, we can substantially alleviate the impact of HIV/AIDS on young lives in the region.
As we pause to acknowledge this major milestone, we're fully aware that the journey ahead is long and fraught with challenges. We'll continue to evaluate our programme's effectiveness and make necessary adaptations to meet the specific needs of Mozambican healthcare providers and children. We're deeply thankful to our partners, supporters, and especially the healthcare workers whose dedication makes our mission achievable.
As we venture into this new terrain, our enthusiasm and optimism for driving positive change for children in need remain as robust as ever.
For additional information about our work or to become a part of this transformative initiative, please don't hesitate to contact us. Your thoughts and feedback are invaluable as we take this monumental step in our endeavour to make healthcare more equitable and effective for children across Africa. Thank you for being an integral part of this vital mission.