Consortium calls for youth-centred approach in HIV prevention, care

African health experts have called for stronger youth-centred interventions and deeper inclusion of young people in HIV policy design, prevention, and care. A continental consortium on HIV prevention and care, convened by the National Institutes of Health, brought together researchers, policymakers, youth advocates, and development partners. They warned that persistently low testing rates among adolescents and young adults remain a major barrier to controlling new infections. Professor Juliette Iwelunmor, co-chair of the consortium, stressed that excluding youth voices from programme design risks weakening the effectiveness of HIV interventions. The experts highlighted the need for increased public awareness, including condom use and regular HIV testing, and noted that tools such as HIV self-testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) exist but awareness and access remain limited. The Lagos State Government has approved the procurement of antiretroviral drugs, expected to improve treatment access from 2026.