There are increased cases of drug and illicit substance use among young people that may lead to an increase in HIV incidence in our setting. Creating a supportive environment for youths to benefit from health education efforts will yield dividends in empowering them with essential health information. Young Women and Adolescent Girls (YWAGs) continue to have a high likelihood of acquiring HIV due to biological and social factors, and patriarchy in society, and they often fail to negotiate safer sex successfully.
In view of the above background, in collaboration with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in Zimbabwe, we conducted two Health Expos in a bid to create space for in-school adolescents and young adults to access health information. The Health Expos were conducted on 2 March and 16 March in two districts on the Western side of Harare, Glenview-Mufakose and High Glen respectively, and were attended by approximately 800 students from over 50 schools.
The Health Expos mobilized health-focused governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations including the University of Zimbabwe- Clinical Trials Research Center(UZ-CTRC). The diverse organizations included those working on HIV/AIDS, COVID-19, Gender Based Violence(GBV), Sexual Reproductive Health Rights(SRHR), and research in HIV prevention and treatment. The CAB members played an important role, educating the students as they visited the various exhibitors’ tables. On one exhibition table, students learned about child sexual abuse and how they could report it, and how they could deal with the issue including the available services for gender-based violence. At the UZ-CTRC table, students learned about novel HIV prevention strategies being researched, and those that have been found effective and are now in the regulatory pipeline to be approved for public access. Of interest was information on discrete HIV prevention mechanisms for women that included the Dapivirine Ring and Long Acting Injectable Cabotegravir as PrEP. The students and their teachers were excited to learn that UZ-CTRC was working on clinical trials to find a vaccine for HIV prevention in collaboration with HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN). “The Imbokodo trial results were not pleasing, but they provided a learning platform for upcoming HIV vaccine research,” said Mr. Charles Chasakara, the Community Engagement Coordinator at UZ-CTRC.
The CAB was also instrumental in teaching young people about character building for resilience as a way of empowering them with skills to overcome problems associated with drug and substance use. The students also asked for more opportunities for behavioral research protocols focusing on drug and substance use among young people.
In conclusion, opening such a space for young people to access health information builds a foundation for the healthy future of a nation.
Stanford Chimutimunzeve is a CAB member at the University of Zimbabwe Clinical Trials Research Centre (UZ-CTRC)/Seke South CRS in Harare, Zimbabwe.