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Completion of Primary Package Sessions by Adolescent Girls and Young Women Before and During COVID-19 Period: Case of DREAMS Program in Zimbabwe

Received: 21 August 2023     Accepted: 11 September 2023     Published: 27 September 2023
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Abstract

Rapid increase in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Zimbabwe resulted in lockdown measures to curb further transmission. Participation of Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in HIV prevention programs was erratic during lockdown periods due to movement restrictions. We assessed completion of primary package sessions among AGYW aged 10-24 years enrolled in the Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe (DREAMS) program before and during COVID-19 periods, in Bulawayo, Gweru and Mazowe districts. Secondary analysis of routine program data for AGYW aged 10-24 years enrolled in the DREAMS program in Bulawayo, Gweru, and Mazowe districts was conducted. Data for the period 1 April 2019 to the 31 March 2020 (period before COVID-19) and 1 April 2020 to the 31 March 2021 (COVID-19 period) were extracted from the DREAMS District Heath information Systems (DHIS 2) database and analysed using SPSS generating descriptive statistics. Completion was defined as AGYW who went through and finished the HIV prevention, gender norms and financial literacy sessions after enrolment in DREAMS. Chi-square test was used to assess differences in completion rates between different categories of AGYW. Data for 52,300 AGYW enrolled in the DREAMS program were analysed and the median age was 15 years (IR, 7). Overall completion rate of primary package sessions in DREAMS program was 96.0% (50,184/52,300), with the completion rate before COVID-19 period being 96.8% (25,460/26,299) and 95.1% (24,724/26,001) during the COVID-19 period. Session completion before COVID-19 period was high among those in-school, out of school, age groups 15-19, 20-24, among young mothers, as well as Bulawayo and Gweru districts (p<0.001). Also, the 10-14 years old, people Living with HIV (PLHIV), and young women selling sex (YWSS) showed higher completion of primary package sessions before than during COVID-19 period. However, session completion for young mothers dropped from 97.5% before COVID-19 to 86.1% during COVID-19 period. Completion of DREAMS primary package sessions remained high during the COVID-19 period although it dropped by 1.7%. Despite travel and meeting restrictions during the COVID-19 period, session completion remained high, and this can be attributed to the use of virtual platforms and effective community follow-up mechanisms for AGYW invested by the DREAMS program. We recommend scaling up the DREAMS HIV prevention primary package sessions delivery models employed during COVID-19 period and improve session delivery strategies for young mothers to match the other categories of AGYW.

Published in International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science (Volume 9, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20230902.13
Page(s) 53-58
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Completion, DREAMS, Sessions, Primary Package, COVID-19

References
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Cite This Article
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    Fungai Hamilton Mudzengerere, Emmanuel Tachiwenyika, Dominica Dhakwa, Edewell Mugariri, Kennedy Yogo, et al. (2023). Completion of Primary Package Sessions by Adolescent Girls and Young Women Before and During COVID-19 Period: Case of DREAMS Program in Zimbabwe. International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science, 9(2), 53-58. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20230902.13

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    ACS Style

    Fungai Hamilton Mudzengerere; Emmanuel Tachiwenyika; Dominica Dhakwa; Edewell Mugariri; Kennedy Yogo, et al. Completion of Primary Package Sessions by Adolescent Girls and Young Women Before and During COVID-19 Period: Case of DREAMS Program in Zimbabwe. Int. J. HIV/AIDS Prev. Educ. Behav. Sci. 2023, 9(2), 53-58. doi: 10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20230902.13

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    AMA Style

    Fungai Hamilton Mudzengerere, Emmanuel Tachiwenyika, Dominica Dhakwa, Edewell Mugariri, Kennedy Yogo, et al. Completion of Primary Package Sessions by Adolescent Girls and Young Women Before and During COVID-19 Period: Case of DREAMS Program in Zimbabwe. Int J HIV/AIDS Prev Educ Behav Sci. 2023;9(2):53-58. doi: 10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20230902.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20230902.13,
      author = {Fungai Hamilton Mudzengerere and Emmanuel Tachiwenyika and Dominica Dhakwa and Edewell Mugariri and Kennedy Yogo and Tidings Masoka and Getrude Ncube and Florence Mudokwani and Taurai Bhatasara and Taurayi Adriano Tafuma and Haurovi William Mafaune},
      title = {Completion of Primary Package Sessions by Adolescent Girls and Young Women Before and During COVID-19 Period: Case of DREAMS Program in Zimbabwe},
      journal = {International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science},
      volume = {9},
      number = {2},
      pages = {53-58},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20230902.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20230902.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijhpebs.20230902.13},
      abstract = {Rapid increase in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Zimbabwe resulted in lockdown measures to curb further transmission. Participation of Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in HIV prevention programs was erratic during lockdown periods due to movement restrictions. We assessed completion of primary package sessions among AGYW aged 10-24 years enrolled in the Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe (DREAMS) program before and during COVID-19 periods, in Bulawayo, Gweru and Mazowe districts. Secondary analysis of routine program data for AGYW aged 10-24 years enrolled in the DREAMS program in Bulawayo, Gweru, and Mazowe districts was conducted. Data for the period 1 April 2019 to the 31 March 2020 (period before COVID-19) and 1 April 2020 to the 31 March 2021 (COVID-19 period) were extracted from the DREAMS District Heath information Systems (DHIS 2) database and analysed using SPSS generating descriptive statistics. Completion was defined as AGYW who went through and finished the HIV prevention, gender norms and financial literacy sessions after enrolment in DREAMS. Chi-square test was used to assess differences in completion rates between different categories of AGYW. Data for 52,300 AGYW enrolled in the DREAMS program were analysed and the median age was 15 years (IR, 7). Overall completion rate of primary package sessions in DREAMS program was 96.0% (50,184/52,300), with the completion rate before COVID-19 period being 96.8% (25,460/26,299) and 95.1% (24,724/26,001) during the COVID-19 period. Session completion before COVID-19 period was high among those in-school, out of school, age groups 15-19, 20-24, among young mothers, as well as Bulawayo and Gweru districts (p<0.001). Also, the 10-14 years old, people Living with HIV (PLHIV), and young women selling sex (YWSS) showed higher completion of primary package sessions before than during COVID-19 period. However, session completion for young mothers dropped from 97.5% before COVID-19 to 86.1% during COVID-19 period. Completion of DREAMS primary package sessions remained high during the COVID-19 period although it dropped by 1.7%. Despite travel and meeting restrictions during the COVID-19 period, session completion remained high, and this can be attributed to the use of virtual platforms and effective community follow-up mechanisms for AGYW invested by the DREAMS program. We recommend scaling up the DREAMS HIV prevention primary package sessions delivery models employed during COVID-19 period and improve session delivery strategies for young mothers to match the other categories of AGYW.},
     year = {2023}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Completion of Primary Package Sessions by Adolescent Girls and Young Women Before and During COVID-19 Period: Case of DREAMS Program in Zimbabwe
    AU  - Fungai Hamilton Mudzengerere
    AU  - Emmanuel Tachiwenyika
    AU  - Dominica Dhakwa
    AU  - Edewell Mugariri
    AU  - Kennedy Yogo
    AU  - Tidings Masoka
    AU  - Getrude Ncube
    AU  - Florence Mudokwani
    AU  - Taurai Bhatasara
    AU  - Taurayi Adriano Tafuma
    AU  - Haurovi William Mafaune
    Y1  - 2023/09/27
    PY  - 2023
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    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20230902.13
    T2  - International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science
    JF  - International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science
    JO  - International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science
    SP  - 53
    EP  - 58
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2575-5765
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20230902.13
    AB  - Rapid increase in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Zimbabwe resulted in lockdown measures to curb further transmission. Participation of Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in HIV prevention programs was erratic during lockdown periods due to movement restrictions. We assessed completion of primary package sessions among AGYW aged 10-24 years enrolled in the Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe (DREAMS) program before and during COVID-19 periods, in Bulawayo, Gweru and Mazowe districts. Secondary analysis of routine program data for AGYW aged 10-24 years enrolled in the DREAMS program in Bulawayo, Gweru, and Mazowe districts was conducted. Data for the period 1 April 2019 to the 31 March 2020 (period before COVID-19) and 1 April 2020 to the 31 March 2021 (COVID-19 period) were extracted from the DREAMS District Heath information Systems (DHIS 2) database and analysed using SPSS generating descriptive statistics. Completion was defined as AGYW who went through and finished the HIV prevention, gender norms and financial literacy sessions after enrolment in DREAMS. Chi-square test was used to assess differences in completion rates between different categories of AGYW. Data for 52,300 AGYW enrolled in the DREAMS program were analysed and the median age was 15 years (IR, 7). Overall completion rate of primary package sessions in DREAMS program was 96.0% (50,184/52,300), with the completion rate before COVID-19 period being 96.8% (25,460/26,299) and 95.1% (24,724/26,001) during the COVID-19 period. Session completion before COVID-19 period was high among those in-school, out of school, age groups 15-19, 20-24, among young mothers, as well as Bulawayo and Gweru districts (p<0.001). Also, the 10-14 years old, people Living with HIV (PLHIV), and young women selling sex (YWSS) showed higher completion of primary package sessions before than during COVID-19 period. However, session completion for young mothers dropped from 97.5% before COVID-19 to 86.1% during COVID-19 period. Completion of DREAMS primary package sessions remained high during the COVID-19 period although it dropped by 1.7%. Despite travel and meeting restrictions during the COVID-19 period, session completion remained high, and this can be attributed to the use of virtual platforms and effective community follow-up mechanisms for AGYW invested by the DREAMS program. We recommend scaling up the DREAMS HIV prevention primary package sessions delivery models employed during COVID-19 period and improve session delivery strategies for young mothers to match the other categories of AGYW.
    VL  - 9
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Programs and Strategic Information and Evaluation, Zimbabwe Health Interventions, Harare, Zimbabwe

  • Department of Programs and Strategic Information and Evaluation, Zimbabwe Health Interventions, Harare, Zimbabwe

  • Department of Programs and Strategic Information and Evaluation, Zimbabwe Health Interventions, Harare, Zimbabwe

  • Department of Programs and Strategic Information and Evaluation, Zimbabwe Health Interventions, Harare, Zimbabwe

  • Department of Programs and Strategic Information and Evaluation, Zimbabwe Health Interventions, Harare, Zimbabwe

  • Department of Programs and Strategic Information and Evaluation, Zimbabwe Health Interventions, Harare, Zimbabwe

  • AIDS and TB Unit, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Harare, Zimbabwe

  • Department of Programs and Strategic Information and Evaluation, Zimbabwe Health Interventions, Harare, Zimbabwe

  • Health Population and Nutrition, United States Agency for International Development, Harare, Zimbabwe

  • Department of Programs and Strategic Information and Evaluation, Zimbabwe Health Interventions, Harare, Zimbabwe

  • Department of Programs and Strategic Information and Evaluation, Zimbabwe Health Interventions, Harare, Zimbabwe

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