Why girls’ health
Millions of adolescent girls across Africa face an interconnected triple threat
Unintended pregnancy and HIV – often driven by sexual violence – devastate girls’ lives every day across Africa. Maternal mortality and HIV are the leading causes of death among adolescent girls in the region.
Unintended pregnancy
1 in
4
girls in sub-Saharan Africa become pregnant before age 18.
HIV infections
63
%
of new infections occur among girls aged 15–24.
Sexual violence
1 in
5
girls have experienced sexual violence, a major driver of HIV infection and unintended pregnancy.
Fragmented health systems stop girls accessing healthcare designed for their needs. Girls drop out of school and sink deeper into poverty. This restricts their futures and creates a ripple effect across economies.
How we work
How we are changing the story
Tiko connects girls to a no cost, integrated ecosystem of healthcare and support, designed around their lives.
Our girls’ health ecosystem
Our girl-centred ecosystem is made up of four components:
Together they connect girls to family planning, HIV prevention and treatment, sexual violence screening and support, and health products, at no cost to girls.
Step 1
Lucy lives in multidimensional poverty.
She faces health challenges, from unintended and teenage pregnancy, HIV infection, sexual and gender-based violence and period poverty, alongside poor psychological and mental health.
Step 2
Miriam, a mobiliser working for one of Tiko’s community-based partner organizations, approaches Lucy.
Miriam, who also lives in Lucy’s community and faces the same challenges, engages with Lucy to talk about her sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and the services that are available to her. She explains that Tiko would allow her to access youth-friendly, quality-assured integrated health services at no cost to her.
Step 3
Lucy decides to seek a health service.
Miriam helps to enroll Lucy onto the Tiko platform, her digitally-enabled ecosystem of quality public and private healthcare providers and pharmacies within her community, offering integrated family planning, HIV, and sexual violence support services.
Lucy doesn’t need a phone. Miriam can onboard her through various high tech (WhatsApp-based), low-tech (SMS-based) and no-tech (QR-coded card) options.
Step 4
A public or private clinic or pharmacy within Lucy’s community has joined the Tiko ecosystem. They partner with Tiko to benefit from demand generation and the ability to reach girls aged 15-24.
The provider offers accessible and holistic services across contraception, HIV treatment and prevention, menstrual hygiene management, sexual and gender-based violence and mental health.
Step 5
Lucy visits a clinic in her community, one of a set of options she was referred to by Miriam.
Lucy receives a health service, and rates the quality of the care. For this rating, she receives rewards, called ‘Tiko miles’. Tiko recognises Lucy for her positive health seeking behaviour. She can spend these miles at local retailers to buy essential items, like sanitary pads.
The clinic is funded through Tiko to provide the service to Lucy, and is trained, rewarded and nudged to provide a quality service, and receive a good rating from Lucy.
Step 6
A retailer in Lucy’s community, such as a shop or kiosk, has joined the Tiko ecosystem. They partner with Tiko to benefit from the service uptake, as they can accept Tiko miles as currency and cash them in for real payments.
Lucy’s local economy has the opportunity to help motivate the positive health behaviours of adolescent girls and young women.
Step 7
Lucy has the agency to choose when, where and how she meets her health and wellbeing needs as part of an empowered network of young people in her community.
Mobilisers nudge her to continue accessing services, and she shares her experiences with peers, who in turn seek more information on how Tiko can serve them.
Tiko supports Lucy over the years throughout new health challenges that come her way.
Our model helps girls feel safe, supported and in control – with trusted relationships, accurate information, and belief in themselves that many are experiencing for the first time.
