The Adolescent Girls and Young Women Initiative in Zimbabwe, 2018-2021: A secondary data analysis

Background: In Zimbabwe, the annual incidence of HIV among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) is 9.5 times that of adolescent boys and young men. There is an AGYW initiative aimed at reducing new HIV infections among AGYW in Zimbabwe. We analyzed the AGYW initiative data for Zimbabwe to determine trends in AGYW reached with HIV/AIDS education, reasons for dropping out of school, and access to clinical services. Methods: An analysis of the 2018-2021 AGYW initiative data from the National AIDS Council database was conducted. Variables analyzed were proportion of girls in school reached with HIV/AIDS education, reasons for girls dropping out of school, and proportion of AGYW accessing clinical services. Excel was used to generate frequencies, proportions, and trends. Chi-square test for significance was conducted. Results: The proportion of girls in school reached with HIV/AIDS education reduced from 53% (1012568/ 1910511) in 2018 to 51% (991062/1943273) in 2019, to 28% (565612/2020137) in 2020 and increased to 37% (743675/2009894) in 2021 (χ2 202157.71, p<0.001). The major reason for school dropouts was financial problems, contributing 82% and 49% of dropouts among primary and secondary school girls respectively. In Mazowe District of Zimbabwe in 2021, the majority of AGYW accessed clinical services they were referred for, with 97.5% (828/849) accessing pre-exposure prophylaxis, and 97.4% (3793/3894) being screened for sexually transmitted illnesses. Conclusion: HIV/AIDS education coverage for girls in school substantially reduced when Covid 19 emerged. The major reason for school dropouts was financial constraints. Access to clinical services by AGYW was high.