Longwe Belia, Hachilensa Lushomo, Chunga Chipwailia, Banda Kutha, Ng'andu Muchindu, Shakwelele Hilda, Mwamba Trevor, Maambo Nsanzya, Michelo Japhet, Haimbe Prudence, Mweemba Mable
Department of Programs, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Lusaka, Zambia.
Department of Programs, Women in Global Health Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
J Public Health Afr. 2025 Apr 30;16(1):1229. doi: 10.4102/jphia.v16i1.1229. eCollection 2025.
Adolescents in Zambia face interrelated health challenges, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), substance abuse and mental health disorders (MHDs). These issues have significant public health implications, as substance abuse and MHDs are known to increase the risk of HIV incidence.
This study aimed to analyse trends in HIV incidence, substance abuse and MHDs among Zambian adolescents aged 10-19 years from 2021 to 2023.
Data were retrieved from the Health Management Information System under Zambia's Ministry of Health, covering all 10 provinces.
A retrospective analysis of secondary data was conducted using District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2), the Ministry of Health's primary data system. Microsoft Excel and Stata were used for descriptive statistics and regression analysis to examine potential associations.
Findings indicate an increase in national HIV incidence rates from 1.89 in 2021 to 1.99 in 2022, before a decrease to 1.73 in 2023. Substance abuse also showed an upward trend, rising from 0.35 to 0.68 per 1000 adolescents. Incidence of MHDs more than doubled from 0.7 in 2021 to 1.54 in 2023, with Lusaka and Northwestern provinces showing the most significant increases. Our linear correlational analysis showed a positive relationship among the key variables.
The results underscore the interconnectedness of HIV, substance abuse and mental health issues among adolescents in Zambia, emphasising the need for integrated interventions.
This study contributes valuable insights for policy and programme development, highlighting the need for targeted, holistic approaches in adolescent health services to address these interconnected issues effectively.
赞比亚的青少年面临相互关联的健康挑战，包括人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）、药物滥用和精神健康障碍（MHDs）。这些问题具有重大的公共卫生影响，因为已知药物滥用和精神健康障碍会增加HIV感染风险。
本研究旨在分析2021年至2023年赞比亚10至19岁青少年中HIV感染率、药物滥用和精神健康障碍的趋势。
数据取自赞比亚卫生部下属的健康管理信息系统，涵盖所有10个省份。
使用卫生部的主要数据系统——地区卫生信息软件2（DHIS2）对二手数据进行回顾性分析。使用Microsoft Excel和Stata进行描述性统计和回归分析，以检验潜在关联。
研究结果表明，全国HIV感染率从2021年的1.89上升至2022年的1.99，随后在2023年降至1.73。药物滥用也呈上升趋势，每1000名青少年中的发生率从0.35升至0.68。精神健康障碍的发生率从2021年的0.7增加了一倍多，至2023年达到1.54，卢萨卡省和西北省的增幅最为显著。我们的线性相关分析显示关键变量之间存在正相关关系。
结果强调了赞比亚青少年中HIV、药物滥用和精神健康问题的相互关联性，强调了综合干预措施的必要性。
本研究为政策和项目制定提供了宝贵见解，强调了在青少年健康服务中需要采取有针对性的整体方法，以有效解决这些相互关联的问题。
