This Positive Peer-to-Peer (3P) US National Institutes of Health (NIH) study on Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) in Nigeria will enable partnership with 16 health facilities with high proportions ALHIV. It will examine the effectiveness and impact of using a WhatsApp® group to deliver structured, on-demand continuing education and real time mentoring for ALHIV peer educators in Nigeria.
This Positive Peer-to-Peer (3P) US National Institutes of Health (NIH) study on Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) in Nigeria will enable partnership with 16 health facilities with high proportions ALHIV. It will examine the effectiveness and impact of using a WhatsApp® group to deliver structured, on-demand continuing education and real time mentoring for ALHIV peer educators in Nigeria.
Our pilot study revealed that a WhatsApp® platform could be a readily accessible, cost-efficient, complementary medium for mentoring and educating adolescent lay workers in clinics and communities. This is because they provide psychosocial support and linkages for their peers and families. This grant will expand the access of adolescents to the group and help to overcome sociocultural, geographic and security barriers associated with traditional face-to-face or telephone mentoring in Nigeria.
Study Principal Investigator is Dr. Emilia Iwu.