UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé with the young delegates participating at the youth pre-conference event. Washington, DC. 18 July 2012.

Every day 2 400 young people aged 15 to 24 are infected with HIV around the globe, which represents 40% of all new infections among adults. With this age group bearing a significant burden of the epidemic, they must be central to the AIDS response. An event on the eve of AIDS 2012 is bringing together around 200 young people to ensure that youth participation in the major international AIDS gathering of the year is meaningful and effective.

Taking place 18-20 July, the ‘pre-conference’ is an opportunity for young delegates to connect with their peers, plan strategy and maximize their ability to navigate AIDS 2012 successfully. The event offers the possibility to share high quality information on the latest trends in the epidemic along with an examination of youth-specific issues, challenges and needs. Skills-based training on HIV is also provided to the young participants. Organized by YouthForce--a coalition of youth organizations from around the world—the pre-conference youth event has provided an essential platform for young people since the Barcelona International AIDS Conference in 2000.

“Young people bring a fresh perspective to the HIV response, fueled by passion and creativity,” said Mimi Melles, pre-conference co-chair and Officer at Advocates for Youth. “We are innovators and change-makers, and without our meaningful involvement, we will never be able to achieve our targets of zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths,” she added.

In the last few years, there has been a particular emphasis on addressing the needs of young people living with HIV and those from key affected populations such as men who have sex with men, injecting drug users and sex workers. In January of this year, the United Nations Secretary-General presented his five-year action agenda where he outlined working for women and young people as one of his five priorities. Similarly, in October 2011, UNAIDS launched CrowdOutAIDS — a youth-led policy project that used social media tools and crowdsourcing technology to enable young people from around the world to develop a set of recommendations for the UNAIDS Secretariat to work more effectively with young people in the AIDS response. The recommendations feed into the Secretariat’s New Generation Leadership Strategy aimed at increasing youth leadership, ownership and mobilization by 2015.

“We need a youth movement that takes ownership of the response and that holds governments accountable to scale up equitable access to HIV services,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé speaking at the opening ceremony. “Through CrowdOutAIDS we enabled young people shape UNAIDS’ strategy for youth engagement, and I remain committed to implement it,” he added.

At the pre-conference event, UNAIDS together with the YouthForce will launch the collaboration project A Declaration for Change: How young people will achieve an AIDS-free generation - which will run for the duration of the pre-conference. It will allow all young people taking part in the event, as well as young people around the world, to outline a list of priorities that will lay the foundation for how youth organizations, networks and activists will collaborate and mobilize to reach the 2015 goals of the 2011 Political Declaration on AIDS.

Ways of effecting broad social mobilization among youth, especially young people in key populations, will be explored in detail during the youth event. High-risk populations often face significant challenges in accessing HIV treatment and other health care services because of stigma and discrimination.

The meeting will also provide an opportunity to identify ways to remove existing social and legal barriers that block young people’s access to HIV services. For example, in nearly 70 countries there are laws or regulations that present obstacles to accessing HIV prevention services for young people. Only a fraction of nations in the most affected regions allow minors to access HIV testing without parental consent.

Not only is it seen as critically important for young people to act as leaders in the response, but concrete ways for youth to get involved in the design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of HIV programmes will be debated. According to Aram Barra, YouthForce chairperson, his peers are more than ready for the challenge. “Organizations, networks and governments must build a long term strategy together, beyond AIDS2012, inclusive of newcomer activists and young people living with HIV,” said Mr Barra. “Only by doing this will we strengthen the global AIDS response,” he added.

During the three-day conference there will be a broad range of lively sessions including; HIV criminalization: Are you at risk?; Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (GLBT) rights in the HIV movement; What is a successful youth-adult partnership?; Building youth AIDS competency for community action; Empowerment of young people in the sex trade; and How to tell a powerful story through photography.

Greater and better focused involvement of youth in the AIDS response will reap positive dividends as a significant portion of the general decline in new HIV infections is attributed to behavior change in the young. Between 2001 and 2010, HIV prevalence declined among people aged 15 to 24 in at least 21 of 24 countries with national prevalence of 1% or higher. The young delegates at AIDS 2012 are intent on using the conference to get their voices heard and help consolidate these gains when they return to their home countries.

Anti-AIDS charitable concert in Kiev, Ukraine, ahead of the 2012 European Football Championship final.

“In football and in life you need to look ahead,” said UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador Michael Ballack to the TV viewers of the anti-AIDS charitable concert given by Elton John and Queen in Kiev, Ukraine, ahead of the 2012 European Football Championship final. “Every day 3 000 young people become infected with HIV. We can stop that. Protect yourself and your partner!” stated Ballack.

Entitled Your Life is Not a Game. Let's Stop AIDS Together!, the concert was organized by the Elena Pinchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation in collaboration with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). It was broadcasted live in Ukraine and Poland as part of the events related to the Euro 2012 tournament hosted by Poland and Ukraine between 8 June and 1 July 2012.

EURO 2012 provided an excellent opportunity to highlight the AIDS epidemic among a large audience across Europe as millions of fans, communities and nations watched the games, listened to football players and engaged in social activism.

UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador HRH Crown Princess of Norway Mette-Marit also delivered a message to the Ukrainian and regional youth: “I strongly believe in young people,” said Mette-Marit. “Youth leadership and empowerment can make miracles. If you unite your forces and raise your voices, you will be heard by decision makers. And one day you will be the decision makers,” she added. 

Youth opinion leaders can play an important role in social change, including the transformation of prejudice and stigma associated with HIV, as they are known and admired by their peers—young people look up to them as role models. Their voices can help drive important messages on HIV prevention as well as overcome widespread stigma and discrimination.

Regional Youth Team

During the Euro 2012, a new Regional Youth Team comprised of young leaders in sport, music and youth culture in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region was introduced in Kiev with support from UNAIDS. The Team will focus on galvanizing the commitment of young people in effective HIV prevention and promoting youth activism as a key pillar to change society’s attitude towards people affected by AIDS. Stigma and discrimination continue to be important barriers in effectively responding to HIV in the region.  

“Young people remain at risk in all parts of the region,” said Jean-Elie Malkin, UNAIDS Director, Regional Support Team for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. “There is a need for new voices, new energy and new ideas to address the vulnerability of youth, to promote HIV prevention and to advocate for tolerance towards people affected by AIDS in the region,” he added.

During a three-day programme in Kiev, the Team gave a concert at the main stage of the Euro 2012 Fan-Zone, visited a clinic providing HIV services and talked to HIV-positive patients, played friendly football matches with people affected by the epidemic. The members of the Team also gave TV and radio interviews where they called upon millions of young football fans to avoid actions that put them at risk for HIV and to respect rights of people living with HIV and break down barriers created by stigma and discrimination.

The members of the Regional Youth Team

“Young people are often not aware of the danger of AIDS,” said Farhod Tarifi 2010 Taekwondo Junior World Champion from Tajikistan and member of the Youth Team. “For them, it is just a word, something that can never happen to them. But unfortunately it can happen to anyone. Everybody should be prepared!” he added.

The Youth Team will promote solidarity with people living with HIV in their respective countries through the use of social media networks, fan-clubs, addressing their audiences at concerts and media interviews, participating in World AIDS Day events and other HIV-related activities. The Team will also participate in regional and international music and sport events such as the world university games Universiade 2013 which will take place in Kazan, Russia.

The members of the Regional Youth Team include DJ Vakcina (Disk Jockey, Armenia), Azad Shabanov (composer and singer, Azerbaijan), Ura Vashuk (composer and singer, Belarus), Kanykei (singer, Kyrgyzstan), Dara (composer and singer, Moldova), Julia Lasker (composer and singer, Russia), Farhod Sharifi (2010 Taekwondo Junior World Champion, Tajikistan), Vlad Darwin (composer and singer, Ukraine), Jassur  Mirsagatov (composer and singer, Uzbekistan).

The HIV epidemic in Eastern Europe and Central Asia is still on the rise. An estimated 1.4 million [1.3 million – 1.6 million] people were living with HIV in the region in 2009, almost triple the number reported in 2000.

A version of this story was first published at www.unicef.org

Young audiences in six African countries will be able to share the experiences of a vivid cast of characters in a dramatic new radio show: Shuga: Love, Sex, Money. The programme hit the airwaves on 27 June in Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, South Africa and Tanzania across 65 stations. 

During 12 eight-minute episodes, the show provides a view in the lives of a group of four fictional characters aged 15 to 24.  The series tells the story of their dreams, friendships, challenges and triumphs in a world with HIV.

Shuga Radio has been developed from the award-winning original TV version and is supported by UNICEF, MTV Staying Alive Foundation and the PEPFAR Partnership for an HIV Free Generation. They are working in collaboration with young people and representatives from government and partners in participating countries to reach an estimated listenership of 45 million in the region. 

The radio show’s storyline examines a similar range of themes to those in the TV drama including; HIV counselling and testing, condom use in stable relationships, positive prevention, gender inequality and sexual violence, transactional sex, alcohol abuse and the role of multiple concurrent partnerships in the HIV epidemic.

Exploring such issues is crucial, given the vulnerability of young people to HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, which has one of the highest rates of infection in the world. In addition, most youths living with the virus do not know their status. 

“Every day there are more than 2 500 new HIV infections in young people across the world, four out of 10 are in sub-Saharan Africa and the vast majority of these are young women and adolescent girls,” said Geeta Rao Gupta, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director.  “Shuga, an initiative that combines media with a partnership for service delivery, is an example of how to work with partners and young people to reach key audiences and maximize the return on investments for HIV prevention.”

The 12 episodes will be followed by two 25-minute pre-recorded magazine shows which further examine the topics covered with young people, experts from the focused countries and global and national cooperating partners.

Content and storyline for Shuga Radio were written and created by 30 young people from the six countries in a special workshop hosted by Question Media Group with support from MTV and UNICEF.

Among the characters whose moving stories will be told in the show are Sofia,19; her sweetheart Fally, 20; her cousin Amina,17; smooth-talking risk-taker Karis, 20, and a successful business woman and ‘sugar mummy’ Riziki.

“We are delighted to expand the scope and impact of the Shuga TV series by moving the concept into the radio medium where it will reach millions of listeners on youth, student and community stations who may not have had access to the TV series,” said Georgia Arnold, Executive Director, MTV Staying Alive Foundation.

Available in English, French and Swahili, Shuga Radio will air three times a week for 12 weeks.

The partners behind the project hope that it will emulate the success of the first two series of Shuga broadcast on television in 2009 and 2012. The first reached viewers in more than 48 sub-Saharan African countries and in over 70 nations worldwide.

Research conducted by Johns Hopkins University/Centre for Communications Programmes in Kenya following the airing of Shuga (series I) reported a number of positive outcomes. These included increased intention to go for HIV testing and decreased intention to have multiple sex partners, improved attitudes towards people living with HIV and increased usage of accessible health and social services among youth who had watched the series. 

Swedish Minister of International Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé at the UNAIDS Headquarters in Geneva. 09 May 2012.
Credit: UNAIDS

An official delegation from Sweden led by the Minister of International Cooperation, Gunilla Carlsson met with UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé at the UNAIDS Headquarters in Geneva. Young people features high on the agenda.

“We need to engage a new generation of young people in shaping the future agenda of our international institutions, so that they address the shared challenges of their world,” said Minister Carlsson. “We want future generations to believe in the virtues of international cooperation and to influence and change the international institutions to fit the times,” she added.

Michel Sidibé emphasized his personal commitment to bringing more young people into the ranks of the organization and stressed the importance of the innovative youth-led policy project initiated by UNAIDS called CrowdOutAIDS. The initiative saw the participation of more than 5 000 young activists from 79 countries to develop the first-ever “crowdsourced” AIDS-related document in UN history which will inform the UNAIDS Secretariat’s New Generation Leadership Strategy.

“Nurturing young leadership is essential for the AIDS response to remain relevant to the needs of communities, families, and new generations of young people in a more sophisticated and interconnected world,” said Mr Sidibé. “UNAIDS is committed to engage young people in collectively shaping a vision for global health, social development, and the values of our shared world—a new global citizenship,” he added.

The UNAIDS Executive Director also commended Sweden’s commitment and support to the global efforts to eliminate new HIV infections among children and keep mothers alive and emphasized the opportunity to create an AIDS-free generation by 2015.

The government of Sweden and UNAIDS agreed to join forces to promote innovation and new approaches to development partnerships as well as to look for opportunities to strengthen collaboration across UN agencies.

Accompanying the Minister were Member of Parliament Christian Holm, Ambassador Jan Knutsson, Sweden’s Global Health Ambassador, Anders Nordstrom, and other colleagues from Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Swedish Mission in Geneva.

New youth-led recommendations to shape UNAIDS Secretariat’s work on HIV and young people

Youth leaders presenting the UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé (center) with a set of youth-defined recommendations that will guide the UNAIDS Secretariat’s work on HIV and young people through 2015.
Credit: UNAIDS/P.Ekepei

ABUJA, 24 April 2012—Youth leaders from around the world today presented a set of youth-defined recommendations that will guide the UNAIDS Secretariat’s work on HIV and young people through 2015. The recommendations were received by UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé at an event in the Paiko community near Abuja, organized together with Nigerian youth leaders and government officials.

Based on the voices and views of more than 5000 young people from 79 countries, the recommendations resulted from CrowdOutAIDS, an innovative youth-led policy project initiated by UNAIDS. Leveraging crowdsourcing technology and new media tools, the five-month project enabled young people to fully participate in the development of strategic recommendations for the UNAIDS Secretariat’s youth agenda.

“I am so impressed by the dedication, energy and enthusiasm that young people have shown through the CrowdOutAIDS initiative,” said Mr Sidibé. “The recommendations they have presented to UNAIDS will help us mobilize a new generation of young leaders and we will work together to stop new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths.”

Presenting the recommendations to UNAIDS, Gabriel Adeyemo, a young Nigerian activist, described CrowdOutAIDS as a ‘high level meeting’—but ‘by and for’ young people. “It brought decision-making to the grassroots, to the skilled and unskilled, learned and unlearned, rich and poor, to contribute to an issue that affects all our lives: HIV," said Adeyemo, who is also the West Africa focal point for the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS.

Globally, an estimated five million young people (15-24 years of age) are living with HIV. About 3000 young people are newly infected with HIV each day. According to recent surveys in low- and middle-income countries, only 24% of young women and 36% of young men responded correctly when asked questions on HIV prevention and transmission.

Through CrowdOutAIDS, young people proposed six key recommendations for the UNAIDS Secretariat, including:

1. Strengthen young people’s skills for effective leadership at all levels of the AIDS response;
2. Ensure the full participation of youth in the AIDS response at country, regional, and global levels;
3. Improve young people’s access to HIV-related information;
4. Diversify and strengthen strategic networks between the UNAIDS Secretariat, youth networks, and other key players;
5. Increase the UNAIDS Secretariat’s outreach to both formal and informal networks of young people; and,
6. Increase young people’s access to financial support.

“We have worked together, using the simplest tools—each one of us in their own corner of the world—to create spaces of exchange and draft this important document in real-time, public online sessions,” said Zahra Benyahia, a CrowdOutAIDS drafting committee member. “This is not the end. It’s the first step toward revolutionary youth leadership in the AIDS response.”

The full set of recommendations are presented in Strategy recommendations for collaborating with a new generation of leaders in the AIDS response—the first-ever “crowdsourced” AIDS-related document in UN history. The recommendations, together with an internal organizational assessment on HIV and young people, will inform the UNAIDS Secretariat’s New Generation Leadership Strategy.

A new report provides an extensive synthesis and analysis of recent data, gaps and challenges in AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support for young people in Zambia.

For Zambia’s young people the AIDS response has seen a number of important successes, with a significant 25% decline in HIV incidence over the last decade. However, according to a groundbreaking new report, the AIDS epidemic continues to have a huge effect on the country’s youth, especially young women, and much more needs to be done to achieve an HIV-free generation.

Situation Assessment of the HIV Response among Young People in Zambia provides an extensive synthesis and analysis of recent data, gaps and challenges in AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support for this key age group. It was launched at a high level meeting held from 17-18 April in Lusaka.

The event was supported by Zambia’s United Nations Joint Team in collaboration with the National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Council (NAC), and the ministries of Health; Education; Youth and Sport; and Community Development, Mother and Child Health.

“We must reduce the number of new HIV infections among young people if we are to meet the targets set in the 2011 Political Declaration on AIDS,” said Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport Nathaniel Mubukwanu. “We are committed to continue developing high impact interventions using a combination of HIV prevention strategies to effectively respond to the epidemic,” he added.

Good progress but gaps remain

The assessment, focusing on 10 to 24 year olds, shows that HIV incidence decreased between 2001 and 2009 among young people and the proportion of young people having sex before the age of 15 has halved, from about 17% in 2000 to some 8% in 2009. There has also been a rise in the number of young people who were tested and received their HIV test results, from 7% in 2005 to 34% in 2009.

Despite these achievements, HIV prevalence among young people remains high. In 2007 prevalence among those aged 15-19, for example, was 6% for women and 4% for men.

This is attributed to a number of factors. Dr Clement Chela, NAC Director General, citing the report said these factors included, “Poor comprehensive knowledge of HIV; gender inequality, poverty and the combination of transactional and intergenerational sex, early marriage, alcohol use, peer pressure and the negative gatekeeper attitudes towards condom promotion among young people.”  Data shows that only 53% of adults expressed support for condom education for HIV prevention among young people.

The report also highlights that there is no comprehensive sexuality education package for pupils in school and a high level of stigma towards young people on treatment from their peers.

Way forward

One of the key recommendations in the report for increasing protection of young people is the promotion of their meaningful involvement in HIV policy and programme design and implementation. This can be facilitated by building their capacity as change agents and service providers and encouraging them to generate demand for HIV-related services.

As Youth Representative Chipasha Mwansa contended, while hoping that her peers’ recommendations would be taken with the seriousness they deserve: “Nothing for young people without meaningful involvement of young people.”

According to the report, bottlenecks that need to be addressed in order to meet young people’s needs are those that affect access to condoms, HIV counseling and testing, male circumcision and behavior change communication among young people in and out of school. Furthermore, youth friendly services should be expanded at the health facility and community level, including those integrating HIV care and treatment and legal protection for adolescents living with the virus.

Helen Frary, UNAIDS Country Coordinator, noted that a multipronged approach was necessary. “Providing young people with access to HIV testing, condoms, male circumcision and other reproductive health services, including sexuality education,  will significantly contribute to Zambia achieving the UNAIDS’ vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.”

To ensure that measurable progress is made in Zambia, the UN has pledged to work with relevant ministries and stakeholders to translate these main recommendations –and others— into a clear, costed and time-bound action plan which puts young people centre-stage.

Members of the West Indies Cricket Team, photographed with children who participated in the Think Wise coaching clinic and Dr Ernest Massiah, Director of the UNAIDS Caribbean Regional Support Team.
Credit: UNAIDS

Hosting a group of local students at the Kensington Oval stadium in Bridgetown, Barbados, the West Indies Cricket Team expressed solidarity with the UNAIDS vision of zero new HIV infections among children. The coaching clinic was held as part of the Think Wise Campaign, a global partnership that uses the power and reach of cricket to address key HIV-related issues.

"We have the medicines, we have the knowledge. There is no need for any Caribbean child to be born with HIV,” said West Indies Captain Darren Sammy, who endorsed the call for preventing mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV and ensuring access to life-saving treatment for HIV-positive women. “There is no need to treat anyone any differently because of their HIV status," he added.

The Think Wise Campaign—a partnership between UNAIDS, UNICEF, the International Cricket Council and the Global Media AIDS Initiative—places particular emphasis on HIV prevention as well as on the education and empowerment of children. Engaging young people in the HIV response was the focus of the coaching session in Bridgetown, which included a discussion around HIV.

"Through this event, the children have loved meeting their favourite players and learning some new skills. At the same time, they have gained awareness about HIV and the importance of treating all people with equal respect and compassion,” said Dr Ernest Massiah, Director of the UNAIDS Caribbean Regional Support Team. “Like the cricketers, these children can be agents of change in their families, communities and schools."

A regional Elimination Initiative—led by the Pan American Health Organization—aims to end mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean by 2015. The Eastern Caribbean, with its smaller disease burden, is expected to reach the target far sooner.

West Indies Cricket Captain, Darren Sammy, participates in media interviews with Dr Ernest Massiah, Director of the UNAIDS Caribbean Regional Support Team, at the Kensington Oval stadium in Barbados.
Credit: UNAIDS

At present, mother-to-child transmission of HIV accounts for between 8 and 10 per cent of all HIV infections in the Caribbean. However, some Caribbean countries have either achieved or are close to achieving elimination targets; between 2007 and 2010, for example, there were no new HIV infections recorded among babies in Barbados.

Widespread stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV remains a challenge for PMTCT programmes across the region. Stigma and the fear of unfair treatment prevent some HIV-positive mothers from accessing early antenatal care, abstaining from breastfeeding or making their babies available for follow-up testing and care.

"The Eastern Caribbean can eliminate mother-to-child transmission because we have the means to prevent it," Dr Massiah stressed. "West Indian people can play a part by addressing the negative attitudes and judgments associated with HIV. This would allow mothers across our region to feel safe and confident about accessing life-saving testing, treatment, care and support."

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé (right) met with a group of young Moroccans on 4 April at the national headquarters of OPALS in Rabat.

Speaking with a group of young Moroccans on 4 April, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé urged youth across the country—and region—to break the silence on AIDS and lead a revolution in HIV prevention.

“Young people were at the forefront of revolutions that brought political change to this region. I urge youth to launch a similar movement to stop new HIV infections,” said Mr Sidibé, addressing a group of young people at the national headquarters of OPALS (Organisation Pan Africaine de Lutte contre le sida), a non-profit organization based in Rabat.

Over the past decade, the number of new HIV infections among adults and children in the Middle East and North Africa increased from 43 000 to 59 000, according to UNAIDS estimates. In 2010, there were an estimated 470 000 people in the region living with HIV, up from 320 000 in 2001.

During the meeting, Mr Sidibé expressed concern over widespread stigma and discrimination in the region against people living with HIV and populations at high risk of infection, including sex workers, people who inject drugs and men who have sex with men. He noted that stigma drives vulnerable populations underground and away from HIV and health services.

Across the region, the special needs of youth—particularly sex workers, people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men and people living with HIV—remain inadequately addressed, noted the UNAIDS Executive Director.  He underscored the importance of empowering all young people with the knowledge and resources they need to lead a healthy sexual lifestyle.

Through 17 drop-in clinics, OPALS provides health services, access to condoms and HIV testing for young people, women, migrants, sex workers and other vulnerable populations in Morocco. Representatives from OPALS also travel in remote areas, providing door-to-door HIV testing and other prevention services.

In the meeting with Mr Sidibé, several young people highlighted the lack of sexual education in Morocco—both at school and within families. They expressed enthusiasm for UNAIDS’ youth-led policy project CrowdOutAIDS, which leverages new technologies to enable young people to fully participate in the development of the organization’s strategy on HIV and youth. Since the launch of the project in October 2011, some 5000 young people around the world have taken part.

Reaching most-at-risk populations

During his three-day mission to Morocco, Mr Sidibé paid a visit to the Association de Lutte contre le sida (ALCS) in Rabat, the first AIDS association established in the Maghreb region and the Middle East. Mr Sidibé praised Hakima Himmich, President of ALCS, and her staff for the organization’s excellent contribution to the HIV response—particularly its efforts to prevent HIV among populations at high risk of infection.

ALCS was established in 1998 when there were just 30 registered cases of AIDS in Morocco. In 1992, ALCS opened its first voluntary HIV testing and counselling centre, and since 1995, the organization has offered HIV prevention programmes for key populations at high risk of infection.

By 2011, more than 122 000 people at high risk of infection—including vulnerable and bridge populations (for example, clients of sex workers)—were benefiting from HIV prevention programmes in Morocco, largely through ALCS.  That same year, an estimated 58 000 people in Morocco were tested for HIV, many of them through ALCS.

According to studies conducted in 2011 by Morocco’s National AIDS Programme, ALCS and UNAIDS, 45% of sex workers and men who have sex with men in the country are currently reached through HIV prevention programmes and the rate of condom use among these key populations is about 50%.

During his visit to ALCS, Mr Sidibé sat in on a group discussion with women focused on HIV prevention. He also met a peer support group for people living with HIV and spoke with health personnel at an HIV testing centre.

Many of the poorest children living in the world’s towns and cities are facing profound disparities in health, education and life chances.
Credit: UNICEF

Many of the hundreds of millions of young people living in towns and cities across the globe are facing poverty, social exclusion, health inequity and lack of access to vital services. This is the key finding in UNICEF’s latest flag ship report, The state of the world’s children 2012: Children in an urban world.

The report says that infrastructure and facilities are not keeping pace with urban growth and systems and services are not reaching the poorest children: cities are often the backdrop for some of the greatest disparities in children’s health, education and life chances.

According to UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake, “[Children] growing up in slums and shanty towns are among the most disadvantaged in the world, deprived of essential services that can mean the difference between life and death...between opportunity and despair.” This is clearly significant as latest available statistics suggest that nearly half the world’s children live in urban settings, with this proportion set to increase.

HIV services lacking

Children in an urban world cites lack of access to HIV services as a key area where children and young people are being failed. The virus places a heavy burden on the young with an estimated 2 500 people aged 15 to 24 infected every day and around 2 million 10 to 19 year olds living with HIV. Significantly, HIV prevalence is often higher in urban areas. For example, research has shown that girls in towns and cities in southern Africa are markedly more likely to be living with HIV than their rural counterparts.

To reinforce the finding that young people in urban settings can be highly vulnerable to HIV infection, the report also features a 2009 study carried out among adolescents living on the streets in four Ukrainian cities. It found that 15% injected drugs, 75% were sexually active (most before the age of 15) and nearly 60% of the girls had received payment for sex. Despite their greater vulnerability, it is noted that such adolescents were the most likely to be excluded from HIV-related services.

In addition, the report examines the role of sexual harassment and violence against girls and women in urban settings. Such violence can also heighten the risk of HIV infection as well as limiting rights to education, work, recreation and political expression.

Focus on successful initiatives

A large number of successful initiatives aimed at making cities better places for the most vulnerable children and adolescents are featured. For example, the UN-Women Global Programme on Safe Cities Free of Violence against Women and Girls is working with partners in five cities to help prevent and reduce gender-based violence in public spaces, emphasising good governance, political participation and urban planning.

Children in an urban world stresses the need to invest more in community-based action which allows young people to be central to the planning and implementation of interventions that most affect them. In Nepal, for instance, where drug use among young people is increasing, peer leaders from Kirat Yakthung Chumlung, a community organisation, help to provide services such as needle-syringe distribution programmes and HIV testing and counselling.  In Nairobi, the Safe Spaces community initiative aims to create a secure and nurturing environment for adolescent girls growing up in deprived areas. Forging inclusive partnerships has led to better public infrastructure in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo and more successful disaster preparedness in Manila.

On a global level, UNICEF and UN-Habitat have also been spearheading the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative, providing services and protected areas which seek to put children at the heart of the urban agenda. This is precisely where they need to be, according to the report, if they are to fulfil their potential and lead safer and healthier lives.

Ms Medha Sharma, Mr Manuel Rosas-Vázquez, HRH Crown Princess of Norway, Mette-Marit and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé

UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador HRH Crown Princess of Norway, Mette-Marit met with young people at a CrowdOutAIDS Online Town Hall held at UNAIDS headquarters in Geneva. CrowdOutAIDS is the UNAIDS Secretariat’s online project to crowdsource the development of a new UNAIDS strategy on young people. The strategy aims to outline a new approach to working young people.

“Creating a space of young people to have real decision-making power and influence has always been an issue close to my heart,” said the Crown Princess Mette-Marit. “I am so happy to see that this agenda taken seriously by UNAIDS.”

Joining her at a panel discussion, members of the strategy drafting committee Ms Medha Sharma and Mr Manuel Rosas-Vázquez, and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé answered questions submitted by young people through facebook and twitter about the CrowdOutAIDS initiative, UNAIDS commitment on working with young people and the young people’s role in the AIDS response.

“CrowdOutAIDS has built an objective strategy team from the ground up—instead of relying on professional strategy specialists,” said Ms Sharma to the question of how confident she is of the final strategy document. “The end result will be a youth policy that is more meaningful and effective for the young people it covers.”

Moderated by MTV Africa VJ, Vanessa Mdee, the Town Hall was key milestone in the CrowdOutAIDS project to give participants around the world the space to challenge UNAIDS on how to take the final strategy forward.

“We are opening our doors for genuine engagement with young people and I am very pleased with the response,” said Mr Sidibé. “UNAIDS will fully implement this strategy and I know that the young people will not let us fail.”

Earlier in the day, the drafting committee representatives briefed HRH Mette-Marit on their perspectives on young people’s participation. They highlighted the need to ensure sustainability of youth engagement in UNAIDS policy and programme implementation and provided suggestions on how it can be achieved at country and regional level.

Active Engagement of young people in CrowdOutAIDS

Eight regional online forums under the auspices of the CrowdOutAIDS project have given young people the opportunity to share their concerns on youth leadership and youth engagement in the AIDS response. In addition, young people in countries and communities where internet penetration is low, were able to take part in offline Open Forums organized by youth volunteers.

More than 5 000 young people shared their perspectives—online and offline. These ideas and suggestions are now being consolidated and used to shape the UNAIDS young people strategy. A special online solutions application, managed by young people themselves, has been prepared to enable them to monitor progress and shape the strategy in real time.

Clustered around seven strategic priority areas, young people have provided more than 220 ideas via this ‘solutions’ application.

The next steps

Ms Sharma and Mr Rosas-Vázquez, along with other eight CrowdOutAIDS Drafting Committee members will develop the suggestions submitted via the solutions app into the new strategy.

Through a customized online application, the drafting committee will work collaboratively to finalize the strategy with input from young people around the world.

According to Mr Rosas-Vazquez, the process has been a unique way to re-establish the importance of engaging youth, and putting them at the heart of every agenda and allow them to take the lead. “This initiative has reached to the grassroot system and provided platform to put their opinion in strategy making.”  

Ms Medha Sharma added, “as a young person it is fascinating to be part of the policy making process. CrowdOutAIDS has broken stereotypes in the UN system.”

The New Generation Leadership Strategy 2012-2015 will be the first ever crowdsourced strategy in the history of the UN. Find out more at http://www.crowdoutaids.org