GYCA Launches 10 National Youth Shadow Reports
Youth Country Teams Assess their Governments' Progress on Youth and HIV Globally
1.7 billion young people aged 10-24 make up one quarter of the world's population. Approximately 40% of all new HIV infections occur among young people between 15-24 years of age, and there are 5.4 million young people living with HIV. Young people are the face of HIV. We are at higher risk of HIV infection cause we lack access to the crucial information, education, and services to protect themselves. However, our needs are often ignored when data is collected and strategies on HIV and AIDS are drafted, policies developed, and budgets allocated. With only two years left to achieve the UNGASS goals and targets, young people are actively participating in the tracking and reporting of UNGASS commitments.
In 2008, these young people have produced 10 UNGASS Youth Shadow Reports to present at the UNGASS, in its seven-year review. Their research, findings and analysis will set the tone for needs and priorities that must be taken into account during the UNGASS High Level Meetings next week at the UN Secretariat in New York. In just two years, the world will evaluate ten years of work toward "Universal Access by 2010" to HIV and AIDS prevention, care and treatment.
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While progress has been made in several areas of the AIDS response, the targets laid out so ambitiously for youth in the 2001 Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS (DoC) will be unmet by drastic margins; indeed, 7 years later, few governments even bother to collect data specifically on youth. The DoC states that by 2005, at least 90 per cent, and by 2010 at least 95 per cent of young men and women aged 15 to 24 will have access to the information, education, skills and services to protect themselves from HIV infection. However, as of 2007, only 40% of young men and 36% of young women had accurate HIV knowledge on transmission and prevention. Find out what young people have to say about the HIV situation in their countries:
Egypt National Youth Shadow Report 2008
http://www.youthaidscoalition.org/docs/egypt.pdf
India National Youth Shadow Report 2008
http://www.youthaidscoalition.org/docs/india.pdf
Jamaica National Youth Shadow Report 2008
http://www.youthaidscoalition.org/docs/jamaica.pdf
Kenya National Youth Shadow Report 2008
http://www.youthaidscoalition.org/docs/kenya.pdf
Nepal National Youth Shadow Report 2008
http://www.youthaidscoalition.org/docs/nepal.pdf
Nigeria National Youth Shadow Report
http://www.youthaidscoalition.org/docs/nigeria.pdf
Senegal National Youth Shadow Report
http://www.youthaidscoalition.org/docs/senegal.pdf
United States of America National Youth Shadow Report 2008
http://www.youthaidscoalition.org/docs/usa.pdf
Viet Nam National Youth Shadow Report 2008
http://www.youthaidscoalition.org/docs/vietnam.pdf
Zimbabwe National Youth Shadow Report 2008
http://www.youthaidscoalition.org/docs/zimbabwe.pdf
View previous years' (2005 and 2006) reports from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, India, Japan, Kenya and Pakistan.
For inquiries or to contact the authors, please write to Naomi Sorkin, Advocacy Liaison, naomi@youthaidscoalition.org
The Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS is a youth-led, UNFPA and UNAIDS supported global network of over 4,000 young leaders and adult allies working to end the spread of HIV/AIDS in 150 countries worldwide. Get involved at http://www.youthaidscoalition.org, or write to info@youthaidscoalition.org for more information.