For the vision of an AIDS-free generation to become a reality in Africa in the near future, young people must play a central role in leading campaigns with innovative ideas backed by evidence-based research on prevention that can better appeal to youths living with HIV/AIDS, experts have said.
The experts, including Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr Temitope Ilori; Prof. Juliet Iwelunmor of the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine; Prof. Joseph Tucker of the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill; Prof. Elvin Geng of Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine; Dr Folakemi Animashaun, chief executive officer of the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency; and Prof. Oliver Ezechi of the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), among others, converged at the Marriott Hotel, Ikeja, for the Inspire/PATCH-In programme to chart a roadmap for strengthening youth engagement in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa.
According to data from UNICEF, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to more than 26 per cent of all children living with HIV globally, while four in every 10 new HIV infections among children occur in the region. This comes amid concerns over a spike in HIV spread among adolescents following funding cuts by some international agencies.
In an interview, Lead Researcher, Prof. Iwelunmor, shared the views of members of the Youth Advisory Board of Inspire, stressing the need to involve young people in every decision-making process aimed at preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS—from ideation and screening to implementation and policy formulation—to ensure wider acceptability among youths.
“We want to avoid a situation where research or interventions are developed in isolation without young people giving their input, because they can’t do it alone and they do need researchers,” she said.
She further underscored the importance of amplifying youths’ voices in HIV/AIDS interventions, noting that: “They can’t be voiceless and they should be given the platform to share their own lived experience in terms of what would work best for them.
And so this meeting is an opportunity to hear from all key stakeholders, to hear from young people, to hear from researchers, to hear from policy makers in terms of how we can all come together to ensure that that dream of an AIDS-free generation is possible, is attainable, and we can all lead the way with young people guidance.”
Prof. Iwelunmor also decried the low level of awareness surrounding HIV interventions such as self-testing and youth-friendly services, including access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and lenacapavir.
Being a relatively new intervention, she noted that youths’ access to lenacapavir remains limited, creating a situation where many young people feel excluded from shaping dialogue, policy discussions, and research on how to make the drug more accessible.
“And so what we’re really saying here is, especially now that we have the policy makers committed to wanting to end this, we are basically, as young people in particular, advocating that we do this with them. Don’t do it for them, but do it with them, showing us how it can be done to ensure we’re getting to girls, we’re getting all youth involved to ensure that that dream of an AIDS-free generation is attainable, not just in Nigeria, but across Africa,” she added.
Also speaking at the event, NACA Director-General, Dr. Ilori, explained that the programme aligns with the agency’s longstanding advocacy of “catching them young.”
She said the agency adopted the strategy of engaging young people early after observing a spike in HIV cases, particularly among youths, following cuts in U.S. funding support.
For a programme centred on youths, bringing them together as active participants in promoting HIV prevention is a welcome development, she noted.
“It’s a good initiative that will enable the youths to give their voice to AIDS. They will be able to plan with researchers so they will be able to get the direction that will be more useful for them to see to the prevention of HIV and AIDS, not only in Nigeria, but across Africa as well as across the nation,” she said.
Dr Elvin Geng of Washington University in St. Louis described the event as a collaborative initiative across several African countries aimed at improving HIV prevention and treatment among young people.
He said the initiative seeks to understand why youths are disproportionately affected by HIV, citing factors such as limited control over their lives, relationship pressures, lack of awareness, and competing priorities during a rapidly changing phase of life.
Rather than attributing infections to carelessness, he said the programme recognises these challenges as part of normal youth development.
It also acknowledges that young people themselves possess valuable insights into solving these problems. By involving them directly through peer support, social media engagement, and youth-led initiatives, the programme aims to design more effective and relatable interventions.
A key development highlighted at the event is lenacapavir, a new injectable HIV prevention drug that offers protection for up to six months.
He said ongoing efforts are focused on increasing awareness, accessibility, and acceptance of such innovations through peer influence and community-based strategies to reduce HIV infection rates and improve health outcomes among young people.
Dr. Folakemi Animashaun, Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, emphasised that young people must remain central to the HIV/AIDS response, as they account for a significant proportion of people living with HIV.
Rather than describing the situation as a rise in new infections, she clarified that the real concern is the continued prevalence of HIV within this age group.
Addressing intervention efforts, she disclosed that the agency engages youths across universities, polytechnics, technical institutions, and secondary schools through targeted outreach and education programmes.
She added that Lagos State also supports people living with HIV through partnerships with networks and organisations, providing services such as capacity building, empowerment, and direct engagement.
Notably, she revealed that the Lagos State Government has approved the procurement of antiretroviral drugs, which are expected to be rolled out in 2026.
On prevention, she urged the public to adopt safe practices, including condom use and regular HIV testing.
She noted that HIV symptoms may resemble common illnesses such as fever, cough, or rashes, stressing that knowing one’s HIV status through testing at health facilities remains essential.
