Adolescent pregnancy creates a “double vulnerability” for young women in Zambia. Not only do young mothers face the physical challenges of early pregnancy, but they also face a significantly higher risk of HIV acquisition compared to their peers. Compounding this is the social stigma that often drives them out of school and away from health facilities, leading to economic dependency and isolation.
Coalition Health Zambia (CHZ), in partnership with UNICEF and the Ministry of Health, launched the Adolescents and Young Mothers (AYM) project to break this cycle. We understood that a young mother doesn’t just need a nurse; she needs a guide.
The Mentor Mother Model At the heart of our strategy is the “Mentor Mother” model. CHZ recruited and trained experienced mothers from within the community to serve as peer guides. These mentors provide more than just medical advice; they offer psychosocial support, life experience, and a non-judgmental hand to hold while navigating the health system.
This peer-led approach is integrated with Economic Strengthening interventions. We recognized that poverty is a primary driver of transactional sex and HIV risk. By providing financial literacy training and linkages to livelihood opportunities, we empower these young women to make independent decisions about their health and their future.
Impact at Scale (FY2025) Implementation is currently ongoing in high-burden districts including Kapiri Mposhi and Masaiti. The results for the 2025 fiscal year demonstrate the power of this peer-to-peer approach:
- Massive Reach: We successfully paired 43,487 adolescents with Mentor Mothers, achieving 233% of our annual target.
- Closing the Prevention Gap: Through this trust-based model, we initiated 5,037 young women on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).
- Finding the Missing Cases: We tested 21,110 adolescents for HIV and identified 203 positive cases, ensuring they were immediately linked to life-saving treatment.
- Retention: Despite the challenges young mothers face, we supported 2,663 clients through continued care visits, proving that with the right support, retention is possible.
By combining biomedical prevention with the “soft power” of mentorship and economic resilience, CHZ is ensuring that motherhood does not mean the end of a girl’s future, but the start of a supported, healthy journey.