An integrated approach to HIV prevention may enhance HIV prevention in ways that may not have been achieved through traditional HIV prevention methods. Integrating economic empowerment in HIV prevention has proved to have a positive bearing on adolescent girls and young women’s health in the six districts where ICWEA together with other partners such as National Forum of People living with HIV, JSI, Health Entreprenuer and Sawa World have been implementing the Sparked Women project under the DREAMS Innovative Challenge. The project was supported with funding from PEPFAR, JSI and AidsFonds.
Findings presented at the Sparked Women celebration in Kampala recently on the achievements of the project indicate that economically empowered Adolescent Girls and Young Women that benefitted from the project made better health decisions and had higher self-esteem compared to the time before the project. The districts that implemented the DREAMS innovative challenge registered a decline of 25 – 40% HIV infections among Adolescent Girls and Young Women.
The project used an economic empowerment approach to prevent new HIV infections among adolescent Girls and young women in the six districts of Mukono, Mityana, Gomba, Bukomansimbi, Mubende and Sembabule. Findings further indicate that where the project was implemented Girls who started a business reported increased condom use at 34% compared to 29% at baseline. 75% of the girls who owned business indicated they had stable partners.
Erasmus University showed 23% more comprehensive HIV / SRHR knowledge compared to control communities. This was made possible by Community Health Educators recruited in the communities to support community Education.
