Peer Support in Action

Not Tomorrow, Today: Peer Supporters Transforming the HIV Response in Bulawayo Zimbabwe

In a health system striving to reach every young person, peer supporters are playing a critical role in connecting adolescents and young people living with HIV to the care and support they need in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Peer supporters are part of the community healthcare worker cadre and a key element of PATA's clinic-community collaboration model, bringing lived experience to their work with adolescents and young people. It bridges the gap between clinical care and the everyday realities of adolescents and young people living with HIV, proving that clinical success starts with community connection. 

How Peer Support Makes a Difference 

The peer support model is a proven approach within the HIV response, particularly for adolescents and young people. In Bulawayo, trained peer supporters, young people aged 18–24, use their own shared lived experiences to provide care and support that is relatable, youth-friendly, and grounded in reality. They act as an important bridge, connecting healthcare services with the actual lives young people lead outside the clinic walls.

Peer supporters play a unique role in making the healthcare journey easier to navigate. While a clinical diagnosis can be overwhelming and filled with complex language, peer supporters step in to translate medical terms into information that is easy to understand. By offering one-on-one support and introducing adolescents and young people living with or affected by HIV to support groups, they help young people realise they are not navigating this journey alone, and that others have successfully navigated a similar path. These connections foster the resilience and hope needed for young people to stay on treatment for the long term.

Peer supporters provide care and connection beyond the clinic walls. Through home visits, support groups, adherence counselling, and social media, they remain accessible to young people who may need guidance or a listening ear during moments of anxiety or stress. When they notice that someone is struggling, they are trained to gently guide young people to specialised mental health services within healthcare facilities. By helping to break down barriers such as fear and lack of understanding, peer supporters are not only delivering a service. They are acting as advocates and local champions, helping to ensure the health system is more responsive to the needs of young people.

The Numbers Behind the Impact 

The impact of peer support can be seen not only in the stories of young people, but also in the clinic data. At the United Bulawayo Hospitals OI Clinic, peer supporters are helping to strengthen retention in care, improve mental health support, and create a more responsive and youth-friendly experience for adolescents and young people living with HIV.

• Young people with a high viral load decreased from 70 in 2024 to 14 in 2025
• 22 adolescents and young people at risk of leaving care were successfully retained in treatment
• 132 adolescents and young people received mental health screening in 2025
• Home visits reached 177 young people in 2024 and 76 in 2025
• Support groups connected 302 young people in 2024 and 322 in 2025
• Overall reach increased from 416 young people in 2024 to 509 in 2025

From Local Action to Lasting Change

The experience in Bulawayo shows what becomes possible when young people are not only supported by the health system, but are part of strengthening it. Peer supporters bring something that services alone cannot always provide: trust, shared experience, and a connection to the everyday realities of young people living with HIV.

Their role may begin with one young person, one conversation, one home visit, or one support group. But over time, these small moments build something bigger. They help young people stay connected to care, strengthen relationships between clinics and communities, and remind us that health systems work best when they are shaped by the people they serve.

For PATA, this is an important reminder that community connection is not an extra part of HIV care. It is part of what makes care work. By supporting peer supporters and other community healthcare workers, we help strengthen the bridge between health facilities and the young people, families, and communities who need care that is trusted, practical, and close to home.

Looking Ahead

We often hear that young people are the leaders of tomorrow. In Bulawayo, they are leading today. Through their work as peer supporters, they are helping other young people feel seen, supported, and less alone in their HIV journey.

Stay tuned. In our next post for the Day of the African Child, we will share how PATA's peer support model is reaching some of the most vulnerable children in communities across Zimbabwe.