Adolescent HIV: How to Break the Mortality Wave
Speaker: Dr. Dorothy Dow, Duke Global Health Institute
Moderator: Dr. Coleen Cunningham, Duke Global Health Institute
This presentation will address the issues underpinning the reality that AIDS remains the number one killer of youth in Africa and second leading killer of adolescents globally. Primary research from Tanzania will be presented to describe mental health difficulties, stigma, and the association with anti-retroviral medication adherence. The process of developing and testing a novel mental health intervention, Sauti ya Vijana (the Voice of Youth) to address these problems will be discussed along with preliminary outcomes and policy implications towards an AIDS free generation.
Dr. Dorothy Dow is an Assistant Professor in Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Assistant Research Professor in the Duke Global Health Institute. She has a Master of Science in Global Health from Duke university and has been living and working in Moshi, Tanzania since 2011 focused on research in pediatric HIV. Dr. Dow's current research project is investigating the feasibility and acceptability of a uniquely designed mental health intervention, developed specifically for HIV-infected Tanzanian youth to improve mental wellness, anti-retroviral therapy adherence, and overall HIV outcomes.