Young people

A portrait of Tinashe and Kumbirai at the GALZ.

Young people often lack access to sexual information and services. Policies are often not well aligned to the reality of young people. Young people are not always aware of their rights. This hinders their access to sex education and there is a lack of youth-friendly health services. Therefore, young people are often unable to make informed choices concerning their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), with all the consequences that that entails.

With youth partners in the lead and capacitated to influence policies, implement quality interventions and become sustainable, we aim to reach 500,000 young people (10-24) in sub-Saharan Africa between 2022 and 2025. We do so through activities that:

  • Strengthen the agency of young people to meet their own health needs
  • Increase HIV prevention choices for adolescent girls and young women
  • Improve treatment outcomes and quality of life for adolescents and young people living with HIV

HIV is among the leading causes of death for adolescents and young people in sub-Saharan Africa.

1100

young people become infected with HIV every single day

30 % ≈

young people have the correct knowledge of how to prevent HIV

59 %

of all new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa are adolescent girls & young women

Check out our projects!

Illustration of a man in glasses and a blue shirt.
project

Tanya Marlo Indonesia – Stepped Care Model

Tanya Marlo Indonesia – Stepped Care Model

Tanya Marlo (‘Ask Marlo’) works to reach young people with quality HIV information and guides them to tailored advice and services, such as HIV self-testing and PrEP.

Communities
  • LGBTIQ+ people,
  • People living with HIV,
  • Young people,
Read more about Tanya Marlo Indonesia – Stepped Care Model
project

Sense – Stepped Care in the Netherlands

Sense – Stepped Care in the Netherlands

Sense is the Dutch national brand for young people’s sexual health information and services, including prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Established in 2009 and continuously improving and expanding, Sense applies the Stepped Care Model.

Communities
  • Young people,
Read more about Sense – Stepped Care in the Netherlands
project

YouthWise

YouthWise

There is a high need to improve treatment outcomes and quality of life for adolescents and young people living with HIV. YouthWise aims to amplify the voices of young people living with HIV in Kenya and Malawi to enable them to practice self-care and fulfil their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) needs.

Communities
  • Young people,
Read more about YouthWise
project

You(th) Care

You(th) Care

You(th) Care will enable adolescents and youth aged 10-25 years, especially girls and other vulnerable adolescents, in Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia to advocate for and practice self-care for their SRHR needs and to increase access to (digital) self-care services and commodities.

Communities
  • Young people,
Read more about You(th) Care
project

Thandizo

Thandizo

The Thandizo approach supports young people living with HIV to adhere to treatment. It is a combination of support groups and a mobile app. This online application is used by Community Health Care Workers and peer educators. At the same time, the app collects data of responses, which supports health facilities to adapt services based on the needs of young people with HIV.

Communities
  • People living with HIV,
  • Young people,
Read more about Thandizo
project

EmpoweRing: Prevention by Choice

EmpoweRing: Prevention by Choice

Through the EmpoweRing project we advocate for accelerated approval and uptake of the Dapivirine vaginal ring as an HIV prevention tool for women and girls in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda. The Dapivirine ring is the first discreet, women-controlled, long-acting HIV prevention product. The project will be implemented by International Community of Women living with HIV Eastern Africa (ICWEA) and partners using the Youth Advocates model. This model seeks to empower and build resilience among adolescent girls and young women in addressing HIV needs.

Communities
  • Adolescent girls and young women,
Read more about EmpoweRing: Prevention by Choice
project

B-wise

B-wise

B-wise aims to become the most trusted, personalised and engaging source of SRHR health information for adolescents and youth in South Africa.

Communities
  • Young people,
Read more about B-wise
project

One2One – Stepped Care Model

One2One – Stepped Care Model

This project aims to improve health and wellbeing of adolescents and young people in Kenya by taking a stepped care approach.

Communities
  • Young people,
Read more about One2One – Stepped Care Model
project

Indonesia Healthy Cities with Pride

Indonesia Healthy Cities with Pride

Indonesia Healthy Cities with PRIDE (IHCP) aims to strengthen capacity for movements of young LGBTQI+ people across Indonesia to promote increased access to HIV services, reduction of stigma, discrimination, criminalisation and violence against young LGBTQI+ people, including young people living with HIV.

Communities
  • LGBTIQ+ people,
  • People living with HIV,
  • Young people,
Read more about Indonesia Healthy Cities with Pride
project

Emergency support fund for Ukraine and CEECA region

Emergency support fund for Ukraine and CEECA region

The Emergency Fund provides uninterrupted services and safety for people living with and vulnerable to HIV in times of war and disruption in Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CEECA) region, including Ukraine. The region has the fastest growing HIV epidemic in the world. The Fund focuses on the urgent unmet needs of key populations, builds the capacity and sustainability of the community systems response, and addresses the scarcity and fragmentation of international funding for key populations. It provides small, middle and larger grants to local community-led and community-based organisations, who provide low-threshold, fast-paced, client-oriented aid to the people around them. Cooperation is at the core of our work: Aidsfonds has formed a partnership with Eurasion Coalition on Health, Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity (ECOM) and Alliance for Public Health (APH) on the establishment of this Emergency Fund.

Communities
  • Children,
  • LGBTIQ+ people,
  • People living with HIV,
  • People who use drugs,
  • Sex workers,
  • Young people,
Read more about Emergency support fund for Ukraine and CEECA region
project

Private: Key populations in Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Private: Key populations in Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Through the participatory grantmaking model, we provide funding and structural support, including capacity strengthening, support in advocacy and coalition building, to key population-and/or key population-based organisations in the region.

Communities
  • Children,
  • LGBTIQ+ people,
  • People living with HIV,
  • People who use drugs,
  • Sex workers,
  • Young people,
Read more about Private: Key populations in Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia
project

Vibrações – Stepped Care Model

Vibrações – Stepped Care Model

As a nationwide youth brand, Vibrações aims to enhance Mozambican young people’s sexual health and reproductive rights by addressing their different needs in a youth-friendly way.

Communities
  • LGBTIQ+ people,
  • People living with HIV,
  • Young people,
Read more about Vibrações – Stepped Care Model