Nairobi- 8 June 2009- Youth AIDS activists from different parts of Africa and the Middle East met on 30 May 2009 to discuss issues affecting young people’s access to prevention, treatment, care and support for HIV and AIDS. This meeting leads in to the African Campaigners meeting organised by the World AIDS Campaign (WAC) and African partners in Nairobi, Kenya.

In Africa, over 50% of people are under 30 years old. Half of all new HIV infections happen in young people aged between 15-24 years, yet their access to information, services and resources is still very low. Some of the issues raised at the Youth meeting included:

• lack of comprehensive information on HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support; conflicting and contradicting HIV prevention messages;
• few youth with HIV having access to adequate treatment, care and support;
• many services not being youth-friendly;
• young people not being actively involved in supporting decision-making and service-delivery.

The meeting also reaffirmed key points in the 2008 African ICASA Youth Communiqué, developed in Dakar, Senegal by over 250 young people from 41 African countries, which reflect real life for young people around Universal Access:

• The need for research to tackle gaps around Universal Access programming for young people
• The need for young people to have the skills and knowledge to effectively communicate, input and implement Universal Access objectives
• Address stigma and discrimination facing young people living with HIV
• Support young people involved in or needing care giving

The young people are part of 70 key HIV and AIDS campaigners from around Africa meeting in Nairobi from today (Sunday) 5pm to Tuesday afternoon. Top of their agenda is December 31st 2010, the target date set by governments worldwide for delivery of Universal Access to prevention, treatment and care and support for people with and affected by HIV.