ACHAP is partnering with Dr Michael Evangeli, from the Psychology department at Royal Holloway University of London, to carry out three year evaluation, funded by ViiV, on the effect on 10 to 19 year olds living with HIV of attending camps and clubs offered by the Sentebale charity across Botswana.

Sentebale aims to enable young people with HIV to live a healthy and hopeful life, increase confidence, improve educational and occupational functioning, increase care and support, enhance HIV communication, increase caregiver support, reduce onward transmission, and increase adherence to live-saving HIV medication.

Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho started the charity in 2006, to help vulnerable children and young people (many with HIV) in Lesotho, and launched the charity in Botswana in 2016.

Special camps and clubs are run for those taking part where they learn about medication, such as what is available and how they should take it, to being educated about HIV and what support is out there for them. Groups are also offered for caregivers.

Fast Facts :

• There are two million 10 and 19 year olds living with HIV, mostly in Africa and many of this population have been living with HIV since birth, having contracted HIV from their mother.
• These young people face many challenges – taking lifelong medication to control HIV, parents who have died of AIDS, dealing with HIV stigma, and managing secrecy about their HIV status.
• There are few services to help support this group, and little evaluation of what works.
• One in fifteen 15-19 year olds in Botswana have HIV and one in five adults have HIV.

Recruitment update

• As of August 2019, 506 participants from across Botswana have been recruited to the study (253 young people and 253 caregivers). This represents the total recruitment target in the study protocol. Follow-up for the main study will be done from March-June 2020. In the follow up, 391(193 YPs and 198 CGs) participants will be interviewed. The Sub-study, which is a qualitative cross sectional design involving semi-structured interviews will be done with 10 young people and 10 caregivers. The full study protocol can be accessed here: Prospective Cohort Study of Adolescents Living With HIV and Their Caregivers Attending a Psychosocial Programme in Botswana