Pillar 3: Family & Youth Health
Healthy Mothers. Thriving Generations.
We protect the most critical window of life—from the first 1,000 days to adolescent empowerment. Through our Mentor Mother network, we ensure that every pregnancy is safe, and every child is born HIV-free.
Zero Maternal Deaths (in target zones) | 100% HIV-Free Babies | Adolescents Empowered
Peer-Led Care: The Mentor Mother Model
Who better to guide a new mother than someone who has walked the path herself? We train experienced mothers to become "Community Case Managers," bridging the gap between the village and the facility.
The 18-Month Journey
STEP 1: Identify & Link
We don't wait for patients. Mentor Mothers actively search for pregnant adolescents in their communities and walk them to the clinic for their first antenatal booking.
STEP 2: Retain & Support
Pregnancy is scary. Our mentors provide psychosocial support, ensuring mothers adhere to ARV treatment and attend every check-up.
step 3: Protect & Graduate:
We follow the baby until they are 18 months old. We ensure early infant diagnosis (EID) and celebrate when the final test comes back negative.
[ BADGE: TARGET: GENERATION ZERO ]
Mothers Supported: 42 | Babies Born HIV-Free: 42.
My job is to make sure no baby is born with the virus.
The UNICEF Mentor Mother Programme
Adolescents and Young Mothers (AYM) Project
The Double Vulnerability
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.
- 43,487 Adolescents Paired (233% of Target).
- 5,037 Initiated on PrEP.
- 21,110 Tested for HIV.
- 203 Positive Cases Linked to Care.
- 2,663 Retained in Care.
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.
Empowering the Next Generation.
We don't just treat patients; we build futures. By combining Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) services with life skills training, we give young Zambians the agency to make safe choices.
Agency & Voice Body: Peer-led forums where youth voices drive the health agenda. Tag: Safe Spaces for 15,000+ Youth
Prevention
Judgment-free access to PrEP, contraceptives, and STI screening.
Skills
Financial literacy and vocational training to drive economic independence.