Event: Spotlight Event at ICASA

GBCHealth, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO) and the African Youth Network (AfriYAN) are co-hosting a satellite session on the sidelines of the 19th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA), which is being held this week (December 4 to 8) in Abidjan. The side event, Youth leadership in Africa’s response to HIV/AIDS: challenges and prospects, will take place on Wednesday, December 6 from 7:00-8:30am at the Sofitel Hôtel Ivoire.

Even as new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths are declining among young people, several countries in sub-Saharan Africa still record low knowledge of HIV prevention, and AIDS is now the leading cause of death in adolescents. This 90-minute session builds upon the new GBCHealth-UNFPA partnership and will mobilize development partners and private sector actors around the issue of mainstreaming HIV in reproductive health services to capture the demographic dividend in Africa. The session will:

  • Provide a platform for governments, technical and financial partners, the private sector, civil society organizations, and young people to discuss investment opportunities for ending the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
  • Share national and regional success stories on HIV prevention among young people and its mainstreaming in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services.
  • Strengthen partnership between the private sector and development actors to increase funding for HIV and other SRH services.
  • Strengthen youth leadership for greater involvement in the response to HIV/AIDS and observance of their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Speakers will include the UNFPA, UNAIDS Regional Directors and representatives from government, the private sector including GBCHealth, Viiv Healthcare, BD, and youth organizations.

We hope those of you attending ICASA will be able to join us! For more information, please contact Ghislaine Ouedraogo-Ametchie at .

Alyssa GovindanEvent: Spotlight Event at ICASA