In early 2020, the Government of Uganda declared a lockdown with strict measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic; schools closed for 22 months. “Closed schools meant two things—no learning and teenage pregnancies,” says Teddy Kevin Nabuzale, a psychosocial support counselor with Mbale Youth Group. In some districts in Uganda, teenage pregnancies increased by 30%–50%
Stories
From Mother to Mother, Advice and Support from a Trusted Source
Always smiling and cheerful, Carla Santos Cossa*, a mentor mother since 2019, pays attention to women waiting for appointments as she walks through the corridors of the Integrated Care and Treatment Center (CICTRA) at the Military Hospital of Maputo. She begins her day at the health center like many other mentor mothers across Mozambique. “In
Margaret’s Story—ART Is Only Part of the HIV Response
It was five years ago when Margaret Kugonza’s husband died after spending just a few days in the hospital. “The doctor asked to see me after his funeral,” Margaret recalls. “I went and they did an HIV test.” Upon learning she tested positive for HIV, “my heart almost stopped,” Margaret says. She started antiretroviral therapy