How can the international community engage the youth better in efforts to curb the spread of HIV and AIDS? Young people themselves have spoken and proposed a six-point action plan.
In a first, young leaders from around the world have presented six youth-defined courses of action to guide UNAIDS on its work on HIV and young people. The recommendations were based on the views of more than 5,000 young people who participated in CrowdOutAIDS, a youth-led policy project that made use of new media tools to solicit the youth’s input for UNAID’s youth agenda.
The six recommendations that came out of the initiative are:
Develop youth’s leadership for AIDS response.
Ensure youth’s full participation in AIDS response at global, regional and country levels.
Strengthen and diversify strategy networks between the youth, UNAIDS and other stakeholders.
Boost UNAID’s outreach to formal and informal youth networks.
Increase youth’s access to financial support.
UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé welcomed the recommendations, which he said will help “mobilize a new generation of young leaders.” He also lauded the “dedication, energy and enthusiasm” of young people who participated in CrowdOutAIDS.
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