The Peer Support Intervention - Supporting HIV Positive Adolescents in Zimbabwe to Improve HIV Care Continuum Outcomes (PESU)
HIV
About this trial
This is an interventional supportive care trial for HIV
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Documented HIV positive
- Age > 10 years and ≤ 24 years
- Two consecutive HIV VL>400 copies/mL, at least one month apart
- Residence within 50 km of Harare
- Able to provide written informed consent (age 18 or older) or assent (age <18 years)
Exclusion Criteria:
- Inability to provide informed consent or assent
- Past or current involvement in the Zvandiri Intervention Program
Sites / Locations
- Parirenyatwa Hospital
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
No Intervention
Peer Support Intervention
Standard of Care Practice
Adolescents/young adults in the Peer Support Intervention arm will be referred to a Peer Support Intervention support group within their own or nearby community. This support group will meet monthly and will be facilitated by a professional HIV counsellor together with a Peer Support Intervention counselor. The Peer Support Intervention counsellors will provide regular counselling to their allocated participants through home visits and SMS messages. Each participant will be visited once a week in their home. Whatsapp messages will be delivered daily to each participant by the Community Adolescent Treatment Supporters. The agreed messages will briefly enquire about the participant's well-being without specifically making reference to HIV or ARVs. In addition, participants' caregivers will be invited to a 3-session intervention to build knowledge, skills and confidence to better support their adolescents.
Participants in the standard of care group will receive adherence evaluations and counseling at the clinic as per the current standard of care. Current procedures involve a group counseling session given on Monday morning during which topics are discussed that are relevant to adolescents. In general children aged between 13-19 years attend these sessions. After the group counseling, adolescents also receive an individual counseling session before being evaluated by the clinic doctor. Youth are also encouraged to complete a self reported adherence questionnaire and may periodically undergo pill counts by the clinic counselors. The adolescents may belong to peer support groups in their communities, however these activities are not part of the clinic program. No interventions are typically targeted at their caregivers.