What the client needed
Young people living with HIV in Zambia face persistent stigma, limited support from families and communities, and major gaps in mental health services, all of which make it harder to stay on treatment.
Grassroot Soccer and StrongMinds Zambia designed the Strong Bodies, Strong Minds project to respond, using sport to create safe spaces for mental health support, sexual and reproductive health and rights education, and support for antiretroviral therapy adherence. They needed evidence on whether the approach was feasible, acceptable, effective and scalable.
How M31 Research delivered
M31 Research carried out a qualitative, cross-sectional study in Lusaka and Chipata, covering urban and rural settings. We held in-depth interviews with young people living with HIV, focus group discussions with community members, and key informant interviews with healthcare providers and other stakeholders.
This gave a rounded view of the programme's impact and of the factors behind its successes and challenges.
What we delivered
- Qualitative study design
- In-depth interviews with young people living with HIV
- Focus group discussions with community members
- Key informant interviews with health providers and stakeholders
- Baseline report with recommendations
What changed for the client
The study found that sport-based activities mobilise communities well and support treatment adherence, but that mental health services in the target areas remained seriously underdeveloped. Stigma, low community awareness and weak coordination were the main barriers. M31 set out the priority actions to help the project build a sustainable, youth-friendly support model.
Key findings and outcomes
- Scale up mental health services for young people
- Strengthen community referral systems
- Improve coordination through regular stakeholder planning and review meetings
- Use sport and social media in awareness campaigns to reduce stigma
