World AIDS Day 2024, with its theme “Take the rights path: My health, my right!”, serves as a vital reminder of the ongoing challenges and opportunities in addressing HIV among young people. This year’s theme emphasizes the importance of advocating for the rights of young individuals to access health services, while highlighting the inequities that persist in the fight against HIV. The day also provides a platform to focus on the evidence-based interventions that can make a real difference in reaching young people and ensuring their health rights are upheld.
One of the most significant challenges facing young people in the context of HIV is the persistent gaps in the HIV care cascade. These gaps include barriers to prevention, treatment, and care, which are compounded by stigma, discrimination, and punitive laws. Societal norms, gender inequalities, and violence further exacerbate the situation, often hindering young people from seeking care. As a result, many adolescents and young adults are left without the necessary services to prevent or manage HIV, making it more difficult to achieve the goal of ending AIDS.
To address these challenges, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently launched a technical document that provides guidance on interventions and recommendations that have been proven effective through rigorous evidence-based research. The document highlights the importance of combination prevention, treatment, and care programs, which integrate multiple evidence-based approaches to meet the diverse needs of young people. These programs are not one-size-fits-all; they must be adapted to the unique contexts and challenges faced by young individuals in different regions and communities.
However, while the WHO document offers essential guidance, there is a clear call for interventions that are not only evidence-based but also practical, sustainable, and responsive to the specific needs of young people. “We must prioritize interventions that are not only proven to be effective but also feasible and scalable in real-world settings,” said Maximina Jokonya, Executive Director of the Global Network of Young People Living with HIV (Y+). This reflects a growing recognition that the voices and experiences of young people themselves must be at the heart of any response to the HIV epidemic.
Engaging young people meaningfully in the development and delivery of HIV-related services is crucial for achieving widespread uptake. Young people should not only be recipients of services but active participants in shaping and accessing the care they need. Peer-driven approaches, which empower young people to support each other and take the lead in accessing health services, have proven to be an effective strategy in ensuring that services are both relevant and accessible.
Beyond HIV, the document acknowledges the broader health needs of adolescents, which include addressing co-infections like tuberculosis (TB), sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and hepatitis B and C. The inclusion of these additional health issues in the WHO recommendations reflects the reality that young people’s health needs are complex and multifaceted, extending far beyond HIV alone.
To make real progress in improving the health and rights of young people, it is essential to not only implement evidence-based interventions but also to fill the gaps in research and practice that limit the effectiveness of existing guidelines. This includes addressing implementation challenges, closing research gaps, and ensuring that interventions are adaptable to local contexts.
In conclusion, World AIDS Day 2024 reminds us that the health rights of young people are fundamental and must be prioritized. Through evidence-based interventions, meaningful engagement, and a focus on sustainability, we can create an environment where young people are empowered to take control of their health and play a central role in the global effort to end AIDS. By taking the rights path, we can ensure that all young people, regardless of their circumstances, have the opportunity to live healthy, fulfilling lives.
