Listening to the young on HIV prevention and response
©UNESCO/R. Manowalailao
Young representatives from various countries in the Asia-Pacific will make statements at a UNESCO co-hosted event ‘Engaging with Young People: Removing Legal and Access Barriers’ in Bangkok early February to voice their needs on HIV prevention and response, particularly in terms of policy and legal contexts.
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 that engage in advocacy work at national, regional and global level. These young people can have a powerful influence driving the agenda and advocating for what young people want and need.
But they also face barriers when it comes to having their voices heard and taken seriously.
The interactive and participatory event 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 towards 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 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, 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 – remains 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. The event will be held on Wednesday 8 February 2011 from 11.45 am to 1 pm 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; and Thaw Zin Aye, Co-ordinator, YouthLEAD, thaw@7sisters.org
