Young People Today Campaign

The campaign was initiated following the release of the Young People Today. Time to Act Now report [PDF], which provides a regional assessment of the status of HIV and sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services for adolescents and young people, as well as an evidence base for discussion related to policy change and programming. The report also presents an analysis of the responses under three thematic headings: sexuality education; SRH services; and gender, rights, and contextual issues. Ten key recommendations offer guidance on how to move forward, which was the starting point for this campaign.

Working with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC), the campaign is working to get the region's Ministers of Health and Education to pledge firm support to a commitment of bold action and leadership in support of their youth populations. This commitment-building process culminated in a high-level meeting on December 7 2013, bringing together the 42 ministers at the International Conference on AIDS and STIs [sexually transmitted infections] in Africa (ICASA) in Cape Town, South Africa.

Individuals were encouraged to express support for change and for the rights of the region's young people to a better future, as well as to add their voices to urging education and health ministers to provide quality sexuality education and improved health services. People can take part by signing up to the campaign through the Young People Today Facebook page, engaging though other social media, such as twitter, and downloading the campaign poster and taking a picture holding it for the photo project page. Information and updates are also available on the Young People Today website.

Youth, Sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS

According to the UNESCO report, in a global context, sub-Saharan Africa remains the region that is most affected by the HIV epidemic, with 430,000 new infections annually among young people aged 15-24 and an estimated 2.6 million other young people living with HIV in the region. Despite being the region with the highest HIV prevalence among adolescents and young people, HIV knowledge levels remain persistently low. Other key findings in the report showed that: less than 40% of young people know basic information about HIV; key health services are often withheld from adolescents and young people due to their age and marital and legal status; and teenage pregnancy rates remain high, with 20% of young women having given birth by the age of 17 in a number of countries.