Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
Stakeholders in the health sector have advocated improved budgetary provisions and greater youth participation to sustain the country’s HIV/AIDS response beyond 2030.
They made the call at a multi-stakeholder dialogue convened by Technology for Inspiration Initiative (Inspire IT) in Abuja, in partnership with Africa REACH, to promote youth participation in health policy, budgeting, and sustainable HIV financing.
In a communique released at the end of the meeting, the conference called for the establishment of a unified, transparent and sustainable financing mechanism for youths and young people living with HIV
They suggested the exploration of a Youth Trust Fund and innovative Public–Private Partnerships (PPP) to mobilise domestic resources, strengthen community-led responses, and ensure continuity of youth-focused interventions.
Among other recommendations made by the stakeholders are the strengthening Community-Led HIV Awareness, Service Uptake and Accountability Strengthen community-level HIV demand generation, health literacy and service accountability, particularly in underserved and rural communities, through meaningful youth participation in monitoring health facilities, promoting HIV prevention and treatment literacy, supporting linkage and retention in care, and maximizing locally available community resources and structures.
The conference further sought for the institutionalisation, coordination and meaningful youth participation in HIV governance, nothing that strengthening a coordinated national platform for youth-led and youth-serving organizations to facilitate collective advocacy, representation and accountability will be needed.
Other recommendations by the stakeholders include; institutionalize meaningful youth participation that ensures a minimum 30% representation/prioritisation where applicable, in HIV planning budgeting, policy development, implementation and review processes, while ensuring civil society actors are adequately engaged in national and sub-national HIV responses.
They also suggested the building of youth capacity in HIV financing, policy, data and stigma reduction as well as development and implementation of a structured youth capacity-strengthening agenda, “covering public health budgeting and budget-cycle processes, health
financing and health insurance, HIV policies and governance structures, data generation and documentation, data analysis and visualization, evidence-based advocacy, and stigma and discrimination reduction strategies to enable young people to participate effectively in HIV decision-making and accountability processes”.
In addition, the communique recommended a structured youth mentorship, digital advocacy and a single accountability platform, Institutionalized intentional mentorship and leadership development for young
people within the HIV response, leveraging social media influencers, digital platforms and youth champions to expand HIV prevention, treatment literacy and anti-stigma messaging.