News
Listening to the Young on HIV Prevention and Response
25.01.2012Young representative from various countries in the Asia Pacific will make statements at a UNESCO’s co-host ‘Engaging with Young People: Removing Legal and Access Barriers’ to voice their needs on HIV prevention and response, particularly when it comes to a policy and legal context.
In the Asia Pacific region, young people are increasingly demonstrating their will, passion and energy to engage in HIV prevention and response work. A number of youth-led groups have formed and are engaging in advocacy work at a national, regional and global level. These young people can have a powerful influence in terms of driving the agenda and advocating for what young people want and need.
But they also face certain barriers when it comes to having their voices heard and taken seriously.
This interactive and participatory session on Wednesday 8 February 2011 will review legal and policy barriers to HIV services (prevention, treatment, care and support) faced by young people, including young key affected populations; and encourage governments to move toward formal mechanisms that give a voice to youth, including key affected populations, in national HIV policy and programming.
The term young key affected populations or ‘YKAP’ refers to young people who are key to the epidemic and key to the response, often because of behaviours that they engage in that make them particularly vulnerable. In the Asia Pacific region, young key affected populations include: young people living with HIV and AIDS; young people engaging in transactional sex; young men who have sex with men (MSM); young transgender persons; and young people who inject drugs.
Across the Asia-Pacific region, an estimated 500,000 young people aged 15-24 are living with HIV. While the overall prevalence in most countries is low, the epidemic is highly concentrated in young key affected populations.
The 2008 data from the Global Commission on AIDS in Asia indicated that in the region, 95% of all new infections in young people are among young key affected populations. The data sends a clear message. There is a need to take action and there is a need for governments and the UN and civil society to work with young people who are most affected as strategic partners in the response. There have been increasing efforts made in recent years to expand prevention, treatment and care services to key affected populations, but addressing the specific needs of young key affected populations – and overcoming their particular barriers to service – remainesd a challenge, as has ensuring the meaningful and strategic participation of YKAP in the AIDS response.
UNESCO and UNICEF have worked closely with YouthLEAD, the Asia Pacific Network of Young People from Key Affected Populations, to design this event to get government delegates thinking about what young people in their countries need, particularly when it comes to a policy and legal context. The event will be held on Wednesday 8 February 2011 between 11.45am to 1pm at Conference Room 1, United Nations Conference Center in Bangkok, Thailand.
Contact:
Justine Sass, AIDS Advisor, UNESCO Bangkok j.sass@unesco.org
Sally Beadle, Adolescent Programme Officer, UNICEF EAPRO, sbeadle@unicef.org
Thaw Zin Aye, Co-ordinator, YouthLEAD, thaw@7sisters.org
Related Links:
Asia-Pacific nations seek faster response against HIV at UN gathering, UN News Center, 6 February 2012
UNESCAP Media Advisory: Asia-Pacific nations to examine ways of fast-tracking regional commitment towards ending AIDS
