Umunthu Plus

Strengthening care and support for children and young people with HIV

In recent years, Malawi has made great strides in combating the HIV epidemic however, progress for children living with HIV lags behind – only 69.4% are on antiretroviral treatment, compared to 92% of adults and while only 4.76% of those living with HIV are children, they accounted for over 12% of all AIDS-related deaths in Malawi in 2023. Inadequate support for children with HIV, nutrition security, and psychosocial challenges including mental health contribute to this.

Egmont Partner Umunthu Plus are working to address these gaps for HIV infected and affected children in Mwadzamwa, Nkhotakota District on the shores of Lake Malawi where many families rely on farming or fishing to feed and provide for their households. Low productivity and limited alternative income generating activities mean that more than 45% of families live below the national poverty line and parents struggle to provide enough to eat. As a result, 25% of children under five are undernourished and 23% show signs of stunting.

In their Egmont- supported project, Umunthu Plus are strengthening care and support for children and young people with HIV through training for 30 parents and guardians in HIV care, strengthening existing support groups for young people living with HIV and training young people to provide individual and group counselling sessions. In addition, the project is supporting 400 households to diversify their incomes and increase their food security through trainings in business, backyard gardening and climate smart agriculture and induction into a livestock pass on scheme and cooking demonstrations in preparing well balanced meals, especially important for the health of HIV+ children.