The ZAPP-UZ Project – Psychosocial Support for Orphans and Children Exposed to HIV in Chitungwiza

The Save the Children Zimbabwe (SCZ) and Zimbabwe AIDS Prevention Project-University of Zimbabwe (ZAPP-UZ) partnership (2004-2014) was anchored on raising awareness on PMTCT, promoting and providing psychosocial support services and training for infected pregnant and lactating mothers, their spouses/partners and children within broader efforts to prevent mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV. The partnership, which extended to local actors such as Community Advisory Board, strategic partners such as line ministries and local council as well as other development partners, collaboratively sought to facilitate an increase in access to Psychosocial Support (PSS) services by Orphans and other Vulnerable Children (OVC), as well improve survival of HIV infected children through follow-up for care and treatment under the PMTCT programme.

The specific objectives of the programme were:

• To create an enabling environment for increased access to PMTCT services.
• Increase in the proportion of OVC affected and infected by HIV and AIDS accessing psychosocial support among the 0-18-especially 0-5 years