Bridge Connect Africa Initiative (BCAI), a non-governmental organisation, has launched a Youth-led HIV Support Page to empower young people in Nigeria to lead HIV education, combat stigma, and increase uptake of testing and treatment services.
The support page named the āYouth Leading HIV Awareness Campaign (YOLHAC)ā Webpage was launched on Wednesday at an event held via Zoom organised by BCAI, with support from the U.S. Presidentās Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Embassy Small Grants Program in Partnership with African Network of Adolescent and Young People Development (ANAYD).
According to a statement jointly signed by the organisationās communication officer, Juliet Nwobodo, and the project managers, Favour Ogbuagu and Makkiyyah Sulaiman, young Nigerians face critical gaps in HIV support, bearing a disproportionate share of new infections of about 40% among those aged 15-24.
It explained that based on the report of the 2023-24 NDHS, stigma remains a major barrier, with a significant proportion of young people living with HIV avoiding health facilities due to discrimination.
It also highlighted that only 30% of young women and 22% of young men aged 15-24 possessed accurate prevention information; as such, the webpage would provide a comprehensive HIV peer-driven knowledge for effective prevention and support.
āThe YOLHAC webpage directly addresses these challenges by providing an inclusive and accessible digital hub that centres on youth voices and experiences.
āThe key features include an AI-powered chatbot that delivers real-time, confidential, and youth-friendly information on HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR); a curated directory of youth-friendly HIV service providers that connects users to free or low-cost HIV services across Nigeria and a youth-generated blog that demystifies HIV through personal stories, myth-busting, and lived experiences among othersā, she stated.
The statement further noted that since December 2024, BCAI has implemented YOLHAC across 18 states, training young people between the ages of 15ā24, including those living with HIV, to lead education and stigma reduction.
