Young People

Overview

The Global AIDS Strategy 2021-2026 aims to empower, support and celebrate young people as essential change agents in the global effort to end AIDS. Globally, in 2022, approximately 210,000 (130,000 –300,000) adolescent girls and young women acquired HIV, half as many as in 2010. In the same year, 140,000 (67,000–210,000) adolescent boys and young men acquired HIV, a 44% reduction compared with 2010.

Young people have been targeted with effective interventions that should continue to be scaled up especially for young people from key populations who need access to youth-friendly services such as high -quality testing, prevention, including PrEP and harm reduction, and treatment services, with a focus on peer-led services provided by community-led organizations. Revising discriminatory age-of-consent laws that prevent young people from accessing the services that they need is also essential.

Meaningful inclusion and empowerment of young people requires removing barriers to their participation in HIV-related decision-making spaces and processes

Joint Programme Results

The Joint Programme promoted the empowerment of young people––who account for almost one quarter of new HIV infections globally––to be fully engaged in efforts to end AIDS. With support from the Joint Programme, 32 countries developed and implemented plans to expand and institutionalize youth-led HIV responses. The “UNITED! Movement” now includes 130 new youth advocates for HIV and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) who are focusing on addressing the needs of adolescent girls and young women from 11 countries. “Safeguard Young People”, a UNFPA flagship initiative which operates in 12 countries, supported the development of a regional framework in eastern and southern Africa to achieve a multisectoral approach to youth development and increased investments in young people. In eastern Europe and central Asia, more than four million young people acquired information on HIV and SRH by accessing UNESCO-supported, youth-led digital platforms and artificial intelligence-powered chatbots which operate in three languages.

The Joint Programme supported 50 countries to scale up multisectoral interventions that align with ministerial commitments to increase access to youth-friendly SRH services, including comprehensive sexuality education. Under the Global Fund’s “Adolescent girls and young women’s strategic initiative”, UNICEF has aided 13 countries in incorporating a defined HIV prevention package in their national strategies. Through the joint “2gether4SRHR initiative”, the UNFPA, UNAIDS Secretariat, UNICEF and WHO collaborated with national governments and diverse partners to develop a toolkit for SRH and HIV, which has aided national programmes in scaling up evidence-based services for HIV, sexual and gender-based violence, SRHR and mental health for young people. In partnership with the PEPFAR, UN Women built feminist leadership skills of young women across 15 sub-Saharan African countries, matching young women in mentoring relationships with established women leaders.

The Joint Programme increased awareness of education as an important HIV prevention-related strategy for adolescent girls and young women, through the Education Plus initiative, which promotes access to secondary education. As of 2023, 15 countries had committed to undertake actions in support of Education Plus. The initiative has contributed to policy shifts in seven countries, with potential benefits for at least 19.5 million adolescents and young women. In 2023, ministers of health and education from 25 countries in western and central Africa endorsed the WCA Commitment for educated, healthy and empowered adolescents and young people

Joint Programme Specific Outputs 2022-2023

7.1 Support countries to scale-up multisectoral interventions that promote life-skills and comprehensive sexuality education, access to youth-friendly SRH services and a seamless continuum across HIV prevention, treatment and care for adolescents and youth ages 10-24 years.

7.2 Technical support to countries to institutionalize the expansion of youth-led responses, ensure greater involvement and leadership of young people in the HIV response (service delivery, monitoring, advocacy and governance) and to put in place adequate funding and policy frameworks.