• Involvement of community leaders is important at the initial stage of the program to promote acceptance of youth caregivers, generate community support, and enhance access to PLHA and their families.
   
• The range of needs that youth caregivers can meet must be clearly communicated to PLHA to avoid raising false hopes of receiving food or medicines, or to lead them to expect nursing support beyond the capabilities of the caregivers.
   
• Ongoing monitoring and training are essential to strengthen capacity and improve services provided by youth caregivers. Youth caregivers may require psychosocial support to address stress and burnout.
   
• Collaboration with health centers, HBC and OVC programs, schools, and health and social welfare departments is vital to improve access to care for PLHA, as well as access to VCT for their household members. Youth caregivers can play a vital role in referral to these services.
   
• Providing bicycles help youths reach isolated PLHA living in remote areas and transport them to clinics. Use and ownership of and maintenance responsibilities for the bicycles must be clearly defined.

Next Steps