ACT!2015 Initiative

Generally, young people’s access to sexual and reproductive health and rights information, education and services remains limited and has major consequences on their health. In 2012, an estimated 5.4 million young people (10-24 years) were living with HIV and the 10-19 years old is the only age group in which AIDS-related deaths were on the rise. Further challenges include the spread of other sexually transmitted infections or a high rate of teenage pregnancies (around 16 million girls aged 15 to 19 and some 1 million girls under 15 give birth every year, most in low- and middle-income countries).

Optimal sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing for all young people globally through access to quality, youth‐friendly Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, HIV/AIDS and harm reduction services as well as Comprehensive Sexuality Education.

National, regional and global youth organisations and networks working on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) including HIV/AIDS.

1. Advocacy and capacity building: Create national plans developed by national youth alliances to influence decision-makers to adopt youth-friendly SRHR and HIV indicators including comprehensive sexuality education and access to youth-friendly services in national and global reporting mechanisms in 13 countries;
2. Evidence gathering: Create national databases generated by youth on quality and access to youth-friendly services and comprehensive sexuality education, to be incorporated into country level reporting mechanisms in 13 countries;
3. Communications: Create a communication package that transforms data sets to consumable pieces to be used in national lobbying and advocacy in 13 countries;
4. Global exchange and visibility: Create a communication and coordination strategy that allows for global exchange across countries and regions (north-south and south-south), advocacy and engagement with decision-makers and to increase visibility in national youth-led accountability in global and regional processes.

Expected results:  

1.1. Strengthened knowledge and skills of national youth alliances, including networks of young key populations and young people living with HIV.

2.1 Evidence base is created through youth-led accountability at the national level to improve access and quality of youth-friendly services and comprehensive sexuality education

3.1 National youth-led accountability mechanisms are adopted into national level governance structures for the monitoring and implementation of the SDGs

4.1 Effective global, regional and national coordination and coherence across youth organizations.

4.2 Increased visibility and recognition for national-level youth-led accountability mechanisms on global agreements and frameworks at national, regional and global meetings.

Results from previous phases:  

August 2013 – April 2015:

• 10 national alliances have succeeded in establishing “open door” relationships with 33 post-2015 decision-makers in their respective countries.
• 3 national alliances have succeeded in securing a spot on their country’s delegation to one or more UN events (UNGASS 2014, Commission on Population and Development 2015, May/June/July 2015 intergovernmental SDG negotiation sessions).
• Participation of ACT!2015 advocates in various relevant UN events as civil society representatives or observers.
• Development and wide dissemination of the ACT!2015 Advocacy Strategy Toolkit.

PACT, at least 13 national youth organisations, relevant UNAIDS co-sponsors (UNFPA, UNICEF, UNESCO, WHO), International Planned Parenthood Federation IPPF

SDC multilateral and bilateral programmes in the area of health

Phase 1 01.09.2015 - 30.06.2018   (Completed)