Young people are at the heart of the AIDS epidemic and should be at the heart of the AIDS response. Every day an estimated 2,500 people aged 15-24 are infected with HIV and this accounts for more than 40 per cent of new infections of all people aged 15 and over.

The situation is especially stark for girls and young women who make up 60 per cent of the five million young people living with HIV worldwide. This figure reaches more than 70 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa.

A side-event at the High Level Meeting on AIDS in New York explored the need to ensure that the global AIDS response better serves the needs of young people, showing them greater commitment and opportunities for engagement.

In his opening remarks UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin noted, “UNFPA has experienced first-hand the leadership of young people in HIV prevention programmes around the world. We have learnt that we can reverse the AIDS epidemic if we work in partnership with young people”.

Read the full story on the UNAIDS website


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