Copper Rose Zambia(CRZ) is a youth-led organization established in 2015 by young people on a mission to use their skills for the development of others. The organizations work is currently focused on six main thematic areas namely; Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights(SRHR), Menstrual health management, HIV prevention, Mother and Child health, Leadership and Mentorship, and Economic empowerment. The organization is implementing various projects in 8 of the 10 provinces of Zambia namely Lusaka, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Muchinga, Northern, Central, and Southern provinces.
CRZ has been championing the practice of SRHR self care for adolescents and young people through the You(th) Care project. You(th) Care is a project generally aimed at ensuring that adolescents and young people benefit from a supportive policy, community and strengthened health system enabling them to practice self care, promote SRHR and prevent HIV/AIDS. The project has two specific objectives that is; Duty bearers and decision-makers improve resource and implement laws and policies that respect, promote and realize adolescents’ SRHR and HIV self-care needs, and adolescents, specifically girls and those who are vulnerable, have increased access to quality SRHR and HIV community and public services, including access to self-care services and commodities.
Self-care has a broad definition, but it generally refers to how one takes care of their general wellbeing with regard to their physical, mental, emotional, and sexual wellbeing. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines self-care as the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote their own health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health worker. Thus, SRHR selfcare can be defined as a practice through which adolescents and young people can manage their own Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights and well-being i.e prevention of sexually transmitted infections/diseases through uptake of evidence-based interventions fully, partially, or outside of formal health care services.
From the time Copper Rose Zambia began implementing the You(th) Care project in Lusaka and Copperbelt, adolescents and young people have defined Self-care differently through the self-care learning and discovery series. When asked on social media, a lot of young people shared different views of what it meant to them. For example, Shantel Songwe said Self care means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health self-care is important in maintaining a healthy relationship with family and friends. Other notable definitions shared include;
Chanda Dalitso- self -care means managing oneself mentally, psychologically, socially and physically. In addition, loving yourself by accessing all health equipment and services e.g condoms, injectables and implants.
Marianne M Chileshe- self care means to prioritize your health before anything else you need to be fit and mentally prepared for you to perform well in life.
Cosmas Ngoma said that Selfcare isn’t something new but it has been in existence for sometime but, majority didnt know their rights and services they can acquire from their facilities without intimidation, stigma and discrimination.
For ages people have been practicing self-care using different interventions. More recently the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the unique and critical role self-care interventions play in preventing, maintaining, and coping with illness through personal self-care actions such as wearing masks and physical distancing etc.
One may ask why the increased interest and attention to self-care now more than ever. According to the Zambia demographic health survey of 2018 the statistics on adolescent health indicated that teenage pregnancy stood at 29.2%, 12.7% of girls and 16.3% of boys had sex before the age of 16, 11% of all maternal deaths were adolescents, 3.6% of girls and 4.8% of boys had sexually transmitted infections and, comprehensive knowledge about HIV in girls was 40.5% and 38.6% in boys. These statistics give a glimpse of the situation in Zambia. They show the need to create more awareness on SRHR among adolescents and young people so that they can be able to practice self care and prevent pregnancy, HIV and other sexually transmitted deseases.
SRHR self-care can prevent unwanted pregnancy; reduce unsafe abortion; and combat sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV (and thus AIDS-related deaths), reproductive tract infections, cervical cancer and other gynaecological morbidities. When people participate actively in their healthcare, medication and treatment adherence improves. When adolescents assess and manage their own care, they learn about their bodies, become more aware of their physical conditions, increase their responsible use of products and services, and have better health outcomes. Thus, You(th) Care occupies a critical space in promoting SRHR for adolescents with (digital) self-care services led by adolescents themselves.
There are several HIV/SRHR self-care evidence-based quality drugs, devices, diagnostics, or digital products. These commodities, tools and interventions include: condoms, oral contraceptives, emergency contraceptives, STI self-testing kits, HIV self-testing kits, Pregnancy test kits, post exposure prophylaxis (PEP), pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), sexual and reproductive health information found online, and HIV treatment (Antiretroviral therapy).
Young people can access these and many other SRH self-care interventions fully, partially or outside formal health care services especially through the youth friendly spaces in the facilities within their communities. However, caution must be taken when obtaining information from online sources to ensure that information is obtained from credible online sources such as World health Organization, Ministry of health etc. In some instances, steps must also be taken to ensure that further tests are conducted by trained and qualified health care providers and results are validated.
This is really awesome news, indeed we need to raise awareness about self care so as to prevent health facilities to be over crowded with patients
I took my time reading this, I never knew you people we’re now looking up to as our bosses were volunteers before, this has encouraged me that my voluntary journey won’t be in vain and I won’t forever be a volunteer but I’ll be someone big that other peers will be looking up to.
Indeed am inspired, you CRZ kitwe stuff members are very jovial and friendly, you don’t even want to be addressed as bosses and that gives me the mind to freely open up to you for help,not monetary wise but for capacity building and many others.
Honestly, sometimes I feel like giving up on my voluntary journey, sometimes I feels like this might be permanent on me, something I invest in so much of my time, and effort just to ensure everything can stand but in the end I receive nothing………..but today I realise the skill I gain is very vital than what I expect for in their end there shall be a pay
This is a well articulated article that needs to be share to alot of youths Cause most of the youths at large are not aware of self care and don’t know how to take care of themselves and how to live a healthy life,we should raise a giant by taking measures on who best we can reach to our fellow youths in our community.the difference starts with us.