SSLN Webinar: AGYW Package of services | South to South Learning Network

Introduction

In the East and Southern Africa region, adolescent girls, and young women (AGYW) continue to bear the greatest burden of HIV infection. Recognizing this critical challenge, UNAIDS and WHO strongly advocate for combination prevention packages. These are not one-size-fits-all solutions, but rather tailored mixes of interventions designed to address the specific vulnerabilities and needs of AGYW in our region. This session will explore the latest evidence on combination prevention strategies, unpacking the right mix of interventions to empower AGYW and significantly reduce their risk of HIV acquisition.

Objectives

Gain a deeper understanding of the evidence supporting combination HIV prevention for AGYW.
Learn from the practical experiences and insights to strengthen AGYW programmes and make a positive impact on their lives.

Proceedings

The session kicked off with a warm welcome and introductions by Kerry Mangold, the Programme Director for the South-to-South Learning Network (SSLN).

Following the introductions, Souad Orhan from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) set the stage for the discussion and highlighted the critical importance of implementing combination HIV prevention strategies specifically designed for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW).

Next, the session shifted gears to focus on the evidence base. Chantalle Okondo and Waimar Tun from SSLN i2i presented a comprehensive review of research supporting combination HIV prevention for AGYW. This session aimed to equip attendees with a strong understanding of how this evidence can be directly applied to inform and strengthen their own AGYW programs.

Following the exploration of the evidence base, the session transitioned to the practical side of things. A dynamic panel discussion featuring experts from across the field took centre stage. This esteemed panel, including Maria Chavula (Malawi SSLN AGYW Champion), Beauty Nyamwanza (Zimbabwe NAC), Dr. Elizabeth Kemigisha (APHRC), and Hilary Nkulu (Global Fund), shared their valuable insights on implementing a successful mix of combination prevention strategies specifically tailored to address the needs of AGYW.

The session concluded with closing remarks by Kerry Mangold from SSLN who summarized the key takeaways from both the presentations and discussions, highlighting actionable steps participants could take to move forward and effectively implement these strategies in their own contexts.