Abstracto

Role of the Peer Buddies within the community in creating demanding of HIV Youth Friendly Services

Mbalya Derick

 A peer buddy model provides learning and new evidence in working with Adolescents and Young People living with HIV-positive as a cadre of peer community health providers attached at the ART clinic. The YPLHIV are provided skills and opportunities to further their training and improve their livelihood and ability to care for their own health and wellbeing of others in the community. Peer Buddies are reagents for effective engagement between younger patients and the clinic, providing youth focused projects that improve the overall quality of services for HIV-positive within the GetUpSpeakOut targeted age. In this way, the peer buddies undertake human rights advocacy and influence policy at the district level, whilst promoting enabling health facility environments. A peer buddy is a person who has more knowledge and will to share with other. Or a person who has been on treatment for long time and will to share information to those who are newly enrolled on treatment. The peer buddies are trained for one week on how to handle Adolescents and Young People living HIV at the ART clinic and outreaches. The services they provide are HIV counseling, STI counseling, condom demonstration and distribution, monitor of the viral load of YPLHIV, handle and documentation of HIV Stigma case with the community, GBV screening, Psycho-social assessment and Referral. Peer buddy modal have been very effectives both at the ART clinic and outreach hence making the community own the approach that accelerate access of quality HIV/SRHR services and information amongst vulnerable communities. The strength of the peer buddy model has drawn the desires of Young people living with HIV to be linked to professional HIV/SRHR service and information delivery. The peer buddies are trained for one week on how to handle Adolescents and Young People living HIV at the ART clinic and outreaches. The services they provide are HIV counseling, STI counseling, condom demonstration and distribution, monitor of the viral load of YPLHIV, handle and documentation of HIV Stigma case with the community, GBV screening, Psycho-social assessment and Referral. Peer buddy modal have been very effectives both at the ART clinic and outreach hence making the community own the approach that accelerate access of quality HIV/SRHR services and information amongst vulnerable communities. The strength of the peer buddy model has drawn the desires of Young people living with HIV to be linked to professional HIV/SRHR service and information delivery