Key points
- Experts identify stigma and poor access to youth-friendly services as major barriers
- Long-acting HIV prevention drug Lenacapavir shows promise but faces access challenges
- Stakeholders call for increased funding, youth-driven solutions, and decentralised care
Main story
Limited access to preventive healthcare services and persistent social stigma continue to hinder efforts to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS among young people in Africa, health experts have warned.
A Professor of Medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Juliet Iwelunmor, raised the concern during the 2026 Designathon organised by the Innovative Network on the Science and Practice of Implementation, Research and Engagement (INSPIRE).
The event, which brought together teams from across Africa, focused on scaling up the use of Lenacapavir for youth-centred HIV prevention and care.
Iwelunmor said that despite notable progress in HIV prevention and treatment, many young people across the continent still face significant barriers in accessing services.
“Access to these services remains a major issue, making it difficult to reach young people. The lack of youth-friendly centres that minimise stigma is also a challenge,” she said, advocating for decentralised care models that take services closer to communities.
She described Lenacapavir—a long-acting antiretroviral recently endorsed by the World Health Organisation as a twice-yearly pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option—as a promising innovation, but noted that equitable access and delivery mechanisms remain underdeveloped in African settings.
According to her, the designathon was initiated to generate practical, youth-driven solutions that can adapt and sustain HIV interventions for adolescents and young adults.
Also speaking, a Professor of Global Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Joe Tucker, said Nigeria has the capacity to lead HIV prevention efforts in Africa if it leverages its human resources effectively.
Tucker warned that funding cuts to HIV programmes are already reversing gains in some regions, citing a rise in mother-to-child transmission and challenges with treatment adherence.
“The progress made through programmes like PEPFAR is at risk. We need alternative funding and renewed commitment,” he said.
A public health physician and designathon judge, Matilda Carey, stressed the importance of involving young people in designing solutions.
“Nothing about young people without young people. When solutions are co-created, the impact is far greater,” she said, adding that innovations must be simple, scalable, and aligned with existing health systems.
The issues
Africa continues to bear a disproportionate burden of HIV infections, particularly among young people. Barriers such as stigma, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, limited funding, and poor access to youth-friendly services are slowing progress toward ending transmission.
What’s being said
Experts are calling for decentralised, youth-focused healthcare delivery, increased investment in HIV research and programmes, and stronger adoption of innovative prevention tools like Lenacapavir. They also emphasise the need for inclusive, youth-led interventions.
What’s next
Outcomes from the designathon are expected to inform scalable HIV prevention strategies across Africa. Stakeholders are also likely to push for expanded access to long-acting prevention drugs and increased funding to sustain intervention programmes.
Bottom line
While scientific advances offer new hope in the fight against HIV, addressing stigma, improving access, and empowering young people remain critical to achieving lasting progress in Africa.
