ArticleAfrican journal of primary health care & family medicine2026
Health services and programmatic responses to improving adolescent HIV care in Lusaka, Zambia: A descriptive qualitative study.
Article in African journal of primary health care & family medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAdolescents living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) face disproportionately poor treatment outcomes because of a combination of psychosocial, structural and health systems challenges. Despite efforts to implement adolescent-friendly and differentiated service delivery models in Zambia, gaps remain in the organisation and delivery of care.
aimThis study aimed to explore how HIV services for adolescents are delivered and experienced by healthcare workers and programme managers in Lusaka District.
settingThe study was conducted across six health facilities in Lusaka District, Zambia, representing different levels of the health system and providing HIV care to adolescents.
methodsA descriptive qualitative design was employed. Thirty purposively selected participants (24 healthcare workers and six HIV programme managers) participated in individual in-depth interviews (IDIs) conducted between 20 February 2025 and 30 April 2025 using a semi-structured interview guide. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive content analysis.
resultsInductive content analysis identified three themes: programmatic responses, highlighting strategic leadership, policy direction, adolescent-focused service delivery and workforce capacity building; implementation challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, health system limitations and individual-level barriers; and opportunities for improved programmatic response and service delivery, emphasising improvements in policy, health systems, infrastructure and service delivery.
conclusionAlthough notable progress has been made in expanding adolescent HIV services in Lusaka, gaps in infrastructure, workforce and social support continue to affect programme effectiveness. Strengthening adolescent-responsive and sustainable care is essential to improve retention, viral suppression and Zambia's progress towards the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 95-95-95 targets in the adolescent HIV cascade.Contribution: This study highlights barriers and opportunities in adolescent HIV programming in Lusaka, emphasising leadership, policy, service delivery and workforce capacity, while noting ongoing system and individual challenges. The findings can inform policy and practice to strengthen adolescent-responsive HIV care in Zambia and similar contexts.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.