Zimbabwe
Mildmay’s 'Investing in Child Health' programme in Zimbabwe ran from 2010 to 2012, aiming to support 50,000 people infected or affected by HIV, many of them young children.
Children’s HIV clinic
In 2003 Mildmay opened a specialist paediatric HIV clinic at Harare Children’s Hospital and transferred it to the Zimbabwean Ministry of Health in 2005. In the same year, we helped to remodel community outreach and HIV training nationwide.
Investing in Child Health
From 2010 to 2012, the programme strengthened community‑based support and care networks to improve the quality of life for children living with HIV, as well as orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), alongside young adults, women, schools, and community organisations in rural Matabeleland South.
During its span, the project provided 3,000 basic care packages and enhanced care and support services for 3,100 children—easing the burden for approximately 45,000 family members and carers. It trained 117 village health workers and 40 schoolteachers in paediatric care, antiretroviral therapy (ART), and approaches to support young girls. We also ran awareness workshops for 20 community leaders to better meet the needs of vulnerable children, especially those affected by HIV.
Peer support groups for vulnerable children, carers, and community members were established, and links between communities and clinics were strengthened. Advocacy workshops for schoolmasters and village health workers helped them champion the needs of the children they served.
We shared the programme’s results locally and nationally to inform future policy.