Youthforce was an international youth network founded in 1999 to raise visibility around the impact of HIV/AIDS on youth.
Youthforce was one of two youth partners who initiated the Youthforce, [1] a self-sustaining international brand and umbrella under which youth from around the world partner with global stakeholders to raise their voice on HIV/AIDS. Each Youthforce creates its own identity and gives space to youth to be heard.[ citation needed ]
The highlight of Youthforce was an "MTV Ask the Leaders" session featuring former president Bill Clinton, actor Rupert Everett and Peter Piot of UNAIDS. One of the first sessions of its kind, it was broadcast worldwide as part of MTV's Staying Alive Campaign.
This was the beginning of the Youthforce movement. Barcelona Youthforce was a partnership between of Youth Against AIDS, Student Global AIDS Campaign with Family Health International and Advocates for Youth. [2] [3]
This was a follow-up to the Barcelona Youthforce. Bangkok youth attendees disbanded Youth Against AIDS after the conference and several young leaders received support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UNAIDS to form the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS, (GYCA), [4] a global, youth-led network that has now grown to over 6,000 members in 173 countries worldwide.[ citation needed ]
The culmination of the Youthforce efforts so far was in Toronto 2006, where the presence of youth was the highest to date. [5] At Toronto, GYCA coordinated a Youth Pre-Conference and an advocacy campaign focusing on the vulnerability of youth to HIV infection and the right of young people to participate. GYCA continued to secure youth participation at the following Mexico 2008 and Vienna 2010 International AIDS Conferences with other YouthForce partners including Advocates for Youth, [6] TakingITGlobal [7] and others.
YAA enlisted and raised visibility for representatives on over 30 countries. Most of those have proceeded to be the most visible activists on HIV/AIDS in their countries.
Having served its intended goal as a catalyst to the creation of an international youth movement on HIV/AIDS, YAA's identity gradually gave way to the Youthforce and a new generation of youth with different concerns, yet all with needs for visibility. YAA disbanded as an entity after the Bangkok AIDS Conference.[ citation needed ]
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS is the main advocate for accelerated, comprehensive and coordinated global action on the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
HIV-positive people, seropositive people or people who live with HIV are people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus which if untreated may progress to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
The XV International AIDS Conference was held in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, from July 11 to July 16, 2004. The main venue for the conference was the IMPACT Muang Thong Thani convention centre at Nonthaburi, north-east of downtown Bangkok. It was the first international AIDS conference to be held in Southeast Asia. International AIDS conferences have been held regularly since the first one in Atlanta in 1985.
The International AIDS Society (IAS) is the world's largest association of HIV/AIDS professionals, with 11,600 members from over 170 countries as of July 2020, including clinicians, people living with HIV, service providers, policy makers and others. It aims to reduce the global impact of AIDS through collective advocacy. Founded in 1988, IAS headquarters are located in Geneva, and its president since August 2022 is Sharon Lewin.
The Global Youth Action Network (GYAN) is an international network of youth NGOs spanning 180 countries, and headquartered in New York, near the United Nations. GYAN is a youth-led not for profit organization that incubates global partnerships and increases youth participation in decision-making. GYAN has registered chapters in Brazil, Colombia, France, Ghana, Mexico, and South Africa, with teams working out of an additional eight countries.
The global epidemic of HIV/AIDS began in 1981, and is an ongoing worldwide public health issue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2023, HIV/AIDS had killed approximately 40.4 million people, and approximately 39 million people were infected with HIV globally. Of these 29.8 million people, 75% are receiving antiretroviral treatment. There were about 630,000 deaths from HIV/AIDS in 2022. The 2015 Global Burden of Disease Study estimated that the global incidence of HIV infection peaked in 1997 at 3.3 million per year. Global incidence fell rapidly from 1997 to 2005, to about 2.6 million per year. Incidence of HIV has continued to fall, decreasing by 23% from 2010 to 2020, with progress dominated by decreases in Eastern Africa and Southern Africa. As of 2020, there are approximately 1.5 million new infections of HIV per year globally.
FHI 360 is a nonprofit human development organization based in North Carolina. FHI 360 operates in more than 70 countries and all U.S. states and territories. Established in 1971, the organization manages projects relating to family planning and reproductive health. In 1986 the organization began a worldwide response to HIV/AIDS. FHI 360's research and programs also address malaria, tuberculosis, and other infectious and chronic diseases and international agencies, governments, foundations, research institutions, and individual donors.
Professor Sheila Dinotshe Tlou is a Botswana nurse, specialist in HIV/AIDS and women's health, and a nursing educator. She was Minister of Health from 2004 to 2008. Professor Tlou is a distinguished advocate for human resources for health issues. She is a recognized visionary leader and champion.
The International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW), a registered UK charity, is an international network run for and by HIV positive women. ICW was established to support programs designed to safeguard and improve the quality of life for women living with HIV.
The Global Media AIDS Initiative (GMAI) is an umbrella organization that unites and motivates media companies around the world to use their influence, resources, and creative talent to address AIDS. The GMAI creates a framework for sharing television and radio programming among media companies in order to increase public health messaging. The organization also educates journalists, editors and producers on how to cover the issue. HIV is preventable, and GMAI members aim to improve public awareness and knowledge to help stem the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Staying Alive is an MTV international initiative to encourage HIV prevention, promote safer lifestyle choices and fight the stigma and discrimination that fuels the HIV epidemic. Staying Alive is the world's largest HIV mass media awareness and prevention campaign in the world. It produces TV programming in the form of concerts, documentaries, public service announcements, TV film, film competitions, and others. It also boasts a 13-language website with celebrity content talking about safe sex.
Population Action International (PAI) is an international, non-governmental organization that uses research and advocacy to improve global access to family planning and reproductive health care. Its mission is to "ensure that every person has the right and access to sexual and reproductive health, so that humanity and the natural environment can exist in balance with fewer people living in poverty". PAI's headquarters is in Washington, D.C.
HIV/AIDS was first detected in Canada in 1982. In 2018, there were approximately 62,050 people living with HIV/AIDS in Canada. It was estimated that 8,300 people were living with undiagnosed HIV in 2018. Mortality has decreased due to medical advances against HIV/AIDS, especially highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).
“Think Positive” is a Lebanese association established in 2009 by young activists who have been working hard to serve their society by raising awareness among youths and marginalized groups. It started its activities with fighting HIV/AIDS, Drug Use, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Stigma and Discrimination. It has launched the regional campaign against HIV+ Phobia in collaboration with 10 partners at International, Regional and National levels and conducted many activities and projects under the main theme of the campaign.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1308, adopted unanimously on 17 July 2000, was the first resolution to address the impact of HIV/AIDS worldwide. The Security Council asked countries to consider voluntary HIV/AIDS testing and counselling for troops deployed in peacekeeping operations.
Stigma Action Network (SAN) is an international network focused on research, education and advocacy concerning HIV stigma and discrimination reduction.
Founded in 1999, Alliance India is a non-governmental organisation operating in partnership with civil society, government and communities to support sustained responses to HIV in India that protect rights and improve health. Complementing the Indian national programme, we build capacity, provide technical support and advocate to strengthen the delivery of effective, innovative, community-based HIV programmes to vulnerable populations: sex workers, men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender people, hijras, people who inject drugs (PWID), and people living with HIV.
YouthAIDS is an international nongovernmental, nonprofit education, funding, and health initiative of Population Services International (PSI) that provides humanitarian assistance and brings global awareness to the proliferation of HIV/AIDS. The organization is based in Washington, D.C., and reaches out to 600 million youth in over 60 countries through the delivery of information, products, and social services. Methods used to address issues include film, television, and radio; celebrity spokespersons; pop culture initiatives; theatrical productions; music; and sports. Actress and humanitarian Ashley Judd serves the organization as their Global Ambassador.
The Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), originally formed as the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA), is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 2002 by 37 African first ladies.
Reach A Hand, Uganda (RAHU) is a youth serving nonprofit organisation based in Uganda that focuses on youth empowerment programs with an emphasis on, Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) and Advocacy of young people between the ages of 10–30 years including HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention ,youth livelihood promotion. RAHU works with the goal of increasing access to information and services relating to SRHR for young people so as to empower them live healthy, focused and productive lives. Reach A Hand Uganda's efforts are timely to make a contribution to ensuring that every young person in Uganda can access accurate information to aid and direct them in taking that crucial life decision regarding their life skills and development, and sexual reproductive health and rights.