By Chrissie Mainjeni, Chiradzulu
Foundation for Community Support Organisation (FOCOS) in Chiradzulu District has been implementing a two-year project called Kids Health Kids Rights.
The initiative aims to test children aged 0–14 for HIV and to bring back to treatment those who stopped taking ARVs.
The organisation recruited Mentor Mothers on a voluntary basis to mobilise communities for testing through mobile clinics run by medical personnel from the Chiradzulu District Health Office.
A one-kilometre drive from Chiradzulu Boma leads us to the home of a single mother and her two children. Her second child had been frequently ill since birth, yet no one considered testing him for HIV until 2024.
“I did not know my HIV sero-status, so it was difficult to get my son tested. But after being counselled by Mentor Mothers, I decided to get tested together with my son. The results were positive,” she said.
Since then, the mother (name withheld) said they have been living positively, taking ARVs as instructed. Her child is now healthy and attending school. She expressed gratitude to the organisation for opening her eyes and urged pregnant women to start antenatal care early to know their HIV status.
Another woman, Vanessa Kalulu of Traditional Authority Mpama, narrated that she contracted HIV from her parents and had lived in fear and hopelessness ever since.
“When I got pregnant, my fears grew even more because I was worried about my unborn child. But after getting counselling from Mentor Mothers on the possibility of having an HIV-negative baby, I was relieved,” she explained.
Vanessa later gave birth to an HIV-free baby through the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme. She attributed this to strictly following medical advice. Her child is now almost two years old. She thanked FOCOS and urged women on ART to avoid defaulting on medication.
Mentor Mother Judith Julius commended the project, noting that it has served children whose mothers fail to take them for HIV testing due to long distances, negligence, or lack of interest.
FOCOS Executive Director, Mike Kalemera, said the project was introduced following a 2021 Ministry of Health study which showed high HIV prevalence among children in Chiradzulu and Thyolo.
The study also revealed that many children die due to late diagnosis and delayed treatment.
Speaking to #MBCDigital on the project’s performance ahead of its phase-out in December 2025, Kalemera said it has been successful, reaching many children as well as pregnant and lactating women.
“For the past two years, we have tested 8,945 children. Ninety-seven were found positive and registered for ART. The figure also includes children who had defaulted therapy and were brought back,” he said.
He added that discussions with the donor and other potential funders are ongoing to explore a possible extension, but noted that Mentor Mothers will continue working beyond the project’s lifespan.
Furthermore, he said 85 women under the project were trained in soap making, apiculture, goat, poultry and piggery farming, and were given start-up capital to support sustainability.
Implemented by a consortium of NGOs including COWLHA and YPlus Malawi REACH Trust in Thyolo, Nkhata Bay and Chiradzulu, the project is funded by the AIDS Fond of the Netherlands to the tune of £350,000 (K700,000 million).
In Chiradzulu District, it is being implemented in the areas of Mpama, Onga, Likoswe and Maoni, covering selected health facilities including Malabvi, Maoni, PIM, Chimwawa and Chiradzulu District Hospital.
Chiradzulu District Hospital HIV Testing Coordinator, McPherson Simeji, observed that the project has increased the number of people—especially children—being tested for HIV.
Meanwhile, health expert Dorothy Ngoma applauded the project for giving children healthier lives, noting that with consistent treatment, their viral loads will be suppressed over time. She also called for collective efforts in HIV testing and urged the scaling up of similar interventions nationwide to ease management of the pandemic.
