Mpilonhle brings multi-dimensional services to adolescents in rural South Africa. Its objective is to reduce the very high incidence of HIV and improve overall health. An innovative mobile unit is used to provide services. Each mobile unit serves four secondary schools, staying one week per month at each school. Three units serving 12 schools are currently in operation. Grades 8 through 12 are included in each school. Students range in age from 12 through 22. The older ages are because many students either start school late, or are held out of school to work at home. The number of students at the schools range from 550 to 1850. Each student annually receives four ninety-minute health education sessions focused on HIV prevention, an annual one-hour session with a health counselor, referral as required to nurse and social work services that are part of the unit, and computer training. Program effectiveness will be evaluated in terms of increase in health and HIV knowledge, utilization of services, adolescent friendliness of those services, effectiveness of those services, and changing patterns of HIV in the student population.

Mtubatuba

• Kristin Mmari, DrPH MA,BA