FDI’s vision of thriving and resilient communities inspires the organization’s efforts to improve and sustain the health of Zambians. The challenge of slowing the spread of HIV is central to this goal as Zambia strives to control the epidemic for good. FDI also recognizes that the health of children, and especially vulnerable adolescent girls, is essential to building communities capable of reducing poverty and increasing equality and opportunity. Contributing to improvements in public health at the community level will remain a core endeavour of FDI in the 2022-2026 period.
Specifically, FDI’s focus under this thematic area is SRH and HIV and AIDS with critical focus on adolescent girls, adolescents, and young people. This focus is informed by the understanding that poor sexual health especially among adolescents and young women has led to early and unintended pregnancies that have resulted in huge school dropouts for young girls. This exacerbates their vulnerability and exposes them to exploitation, sexual abuse, and gender-based violence. Furthermore, poor health-seeking behaviour’s among men and boys have exposed them to HIV infection. Compared to females, fewer males know their HIV status which in turn puts them and their wives and children at risk of HIV and AIDS.
A significant gap in trying to attain epidemic control is finding more HIV-positive cases, especially among men, and connecting these individuals to treatment known as antiretroviral therapy. The goal is to reduce the amount of HIV in the body to a level so low that the immune system can keep working and fend off illness. This is known as viral load suppression. Among adolescent Zambian girls, a significant life challenge is early and unintended pregnancy often connected with child marriage and sexual violence. According to the ZDHS of 2018, 33.6% of women aged 20-49 reported that they were under 18 when they had their first birth. This disrupts their education and may narrow livelihood choices, contributing to limited literacy and poverty. The impact of teenage pregnancy on the lives of both the young mother and the child are significant and pose great health and developmental risks for both. There is a worrying, rising trend of dropouts related to pregnancy recorded in Zambia, with 16,000 girls leaving school due to pregnancy.
Despite the re-entry policy in place allowing and encouraging re-entry it is estimated that only about 50% return after delivery. FDI has expanded its current efforts to improve the sexual and reproductive health of teenage girls. Rapid Response: In Year 1, FDI is targeting girls who have dropped out of school because of early pregnancies, and link them to livelihood assistance such as skills training and micro-financing of community business startups. FDI will seek to support these girls via Government of Zambia empowerment funds. Furthermore, FDI has linked with the Ministry of Health and set up programmes aimed at finding HIV positive men and linking them to treatment, care and support with the aim of suppressing their viral load.