Super Buddies & Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation

Super Buddies

Super Buddies is a non-profit organization engaging children and youth in the fight against HIV/AIDS through community outreach and education activities in Swaziland, a country in Africa.

Need

The Swaziland Demographic and Health Survey (SDHS) reports that over 20% of sexually active young people are in need of sexual reproductive health services. While some programs address access to HIV treatment and care for youth, there are not enough that meet their psychological, social, and behavioral needs.

Many youths lack information on sexual reproductive health and life skills that would help them make better informed choices. Young people living with HIV face an additional stigma to contend with.

Project

Super Buddies will target 20 rural communities in Swaziland, helping them better understand the needs of teens living with HIV as well as teaching them the skills to provide support. Given the challenges of living with a chronic, highly stigmatized disease, the health workers will be trained to provide psychological support as part of HIV treatment and care.

The Foundation’s Secure the Future Technical Assistance Program will help with adherence counseling, setting up a baseline study and questionnaires, training in HIV and related illnesses, and monitoring and evaluation.