Sharing Best Practices on YKP Programming
Adolescence is a distinct developmental phase marked by transitions that present both challenges and opportunities, particularly in establishing a foundation for good health. It is crucial to ensure that adolescents have access to HIV and sexual and reproductive health services and that they remain engaged in care to enhance their health and well-being.
Despite significant advancements in HIV treatment and prevention, the harsh realities faced by adolescents and young people, especially in low- to middle-income countries, remain unchanged. While overall AIDS-related deaths have declined recently, mortality rates among adolescents remain higher than those of adults.
To respond to this, Virology Education held the International Workshop on Adolescence, SRHR, & HIV 2024 in Kenya on 2 - 4 October 2024, and Youth LEAD was honored to take a part in the workshop, to lead the session YKP Programming Guidelines.
Through the session, Youth LEAD aims to share best practices of filling the gaps on YKP intervention in Asia & the Pacific, and discuss how it can be utilized in Africa, as there are many toolkits, guidelines and briefs on the needs of key populations generally, i.e. people who use drugs, men who have sex with men, trans people, and sex workers. There are even resources specific to young key populations (YKP). What is missing is programmatic guidance on YKP. Young Key Populations Programming Guidelines: Inspiration for a new era of SRHR and HIV programming for young key populations in Asia-Pacific was developed to fill this gap, drawing inspiration from the ongoing work of YKP themselves.
On the second day of the workshop, during the parallel class session, Youth LEAD shares the experience of identifying the needs of YKP, and how to tailor them into an intervention that fills the gap and empower YKP leaders in the process. The participants who attended the session came from various backgrounds; the national network of young people living with HIV, outreach workers for YKP, and researchers from Kenya, India, and Pakistan.
Looking ahead, Youth LEAD is committed to stay connected in effort on responding to YKP needs around the world, ensuring a better response for YKP from various aspects and angles in HIV response globally.
