UNICEF, MoH Launch Operation Triple Zero (OTZ)
Program aims to encourage adolescents and young people living with HIV to commit to zero missed appointments, zero missed drugs, and zero viral load.
To address the critical gap in HIV treatment among adolescents and young people, UNICEF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, NAHPA, the CDC , Sentebale and Baylor Botswana launched the Operation Triple Zero (OTZ) program in Gaborone recently.
OTZ uses a contextual “asset-based approach,” whereby adolescents are considered as resources with potential answers to their challenges and are empowered to take responsibility and action for their health. e initiative aims to ensure zero missed appointments, zero missed medications, and zero viral load amongst others for adolescents and young persons living with HIV.
HIV incidence among adolescents and young people remains relatively high in the country. e recently conducted Fifth Botswana AIDS Impact Survey (BIAS V) sheds light on the situation. According to results from the nationwide survey which focused on both adults (aged 15 to 64 years) and children (aged 6 weeks to 14 years), three out of every ten new HIV infections occurred in adolescents and young people within this age group. Young females showed to face a higher risk as per the study. Adolescent girls aged 10-19 are three times more likely to be infected than boys of the same age. Additionally, young females aged 15-24 are twice as likely to acquire new infections compared to their male counterparts. And while the country has made significant strides in HIV management, adolescents are falling behind regarding the 95-95-95 UNAIDS targets. OTZ offers a comprehensive package of youth-friendly HIV services, including positive living
messages, caregiver education on supportive parenting, and strategies to improve health outcomes. e program also provides a platform for young people living with HIV to interact with peers facing similar challenges, thereby alleviating anxiety and uncertainty among enrollees. During the launch, UNICEF Representative, Dr. Joan Matji emphasized the importance of addressing not only clinical care but also the multidimensional issues that hinder accessibility and adherence to treatment among young people. Socioeconomic inequalities, including high unemployment rates among youth, pose a significant threat to reducing the treatment gap.
“Adolescent girls and young women are adversely more affected by HIV compared to their male counterparts. Disparities in the accessibility of mental health services, where the demand for services is clearly higher than the offer. As such, the need to integrate other services including SRH and GBV continue to be a challenge especially in remote communities,” he stated.
Adding , “Without addressing these social determinants that hinder the overall wellbeing of an individual we will continue to see this gap among young people, and we will not achieve the AIDS targets for all”.
Meanwhile,Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Prof. Oatlhokwa Nkomazana stressed the need to build personal responsibility in young people.
“Yes we should provide all we can to ensure their success but if we have to even run to a bar to ensure a young person take their pills we have missed it. We need to build in them the importance of taking responsibility and to know there are consequenses to their actions or lack thereof”.
e launch of OTZ is believed to represents a significant step forward in addressing the treatment gap among adolescents and young people living with HIV in Botswana. And as stakeholders rally together to achieve the triple zero objectives, there is renewed hope for ending AIDS by 2030 and ensuring a healthier future for the country’s youth.