DREAMS

The Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe girls and women (DREAMS) programme is being implemented in six priority, high HIV burden districts of Zimbabwe. Selection of these six districts was informed by relevant data including Zimbabwe Demographic Health Surveys, Zimbabwe National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan (ZNASP II 2011 – 2015) PEPFAR COP and Zimbabwe Health Strategy, 2009-2016. The DREAMS supported districts are Bulawayo, Chipinge, Gweru, Mazowe, Makoni and Mutare. The programme started in October 2015 and is running up to September 2018.

With support from the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the DREAMS initiative is focussed on reducing new HIV infections amongst adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). The AGYW ages 15-24 and a sub-population of vulnerable girls ages 10-14, are receiving a comprehensive ‘layered’ package of services including HIV/GBV prevention, HIV Testing and Counselling Services, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for ages above 18 years, access to family planning, social protection, economic strengthening, parenting and other services to reduce HIV incidence. Empowering adolescent girls and young women to protect their health and well-being is a key HIV prevention revitalization ingredient critical to achieving an AIDS-free generation.

The core package of services is being implemented through the following seven prime implementing partners: Population Services International (PSI), Family Health International (FHI 360), Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Family AIDS Caring Trust (FACT), Africaid, with technical and financial support from PEPFAR and USAID.

To ensure an efficient, coordinated and sustained national HIV response, the initiative is being coordinated by the National AIDS Council through its decentralised structures from district to national level, in close collaboration with Ministry of Health and Child Care and other government line ministries and departments.

For more in information on DREAMS programme view or download the documents below.