Project Lead(s): Samantha Ash
Pregnant adolescents living with and at risk from HIV have lower rates of antiretroviral treatment uptake and retention in care than older women, and higher mother-to-child transmission rates. UNICEF has developed a novel integrated and innovative approach to providing prevention of mother-to-child transmission in HIV services for adolescent girls by adolescent girls. The project targets pregnant adolescent girls and young mothers, in pregnancy and postnatal period, aged 15 to 24 years and their children up to two years of age. These young mothers are supported by Young Peer Mentors recruited from the community who are themselves young mothers who had previously accessed similar services.