Abstract (Poster Presentation)
Background
In 2016, 320,000 children in South Africa were living with HIV, mainly due to vertical transmission, yet 45% were not on ART, with many lost to follow-up by age 12 months. HIV disclosure is complicated by stigma, leading to fear and a lack of accurate knowledge among children and caregivers.
Description
KidzAlive@Home, implemented by Zoë-Life South Africa (2019-2022), supports HIV identification, testing, and retention for children in KwaZulu-Natal. Partnering with trusted community structures, it provides caregivers with child-friendly resources like KidzAdherence and the KidzAlive TalkTool to translate treatment literacy into practical actions. Healthcare workers use these tools for education, disclosure support, and creating child-friendly spaces in health facilities.
Results
- 192 healthcare workers trained; 147 mentored.
- 15 child-friendly spaces created.
- 5,329 children tested; 201 HIV positive; 235 linked to care.
- 1,097 caregivers and 748 children received disclosure support.
- 157 children attended KidzAdherence Support Groups.
Lessons Learned
Caregivers need child-friendly tools to act on knowledge, and child-friendly spaces help engage them. KidzAdherence Support Groups promote understanding and reduce fear in children.
Next Steps
Zoë-Life plans to expand capacity-building for community organisations and ensure long-term support for families through quality improvement initiatives, endorsed by the government.