Bulawayo youth chairs the Young People’s Lusaka Declaration
Providence Moyo
Recently, Phakamani Moyo, a renowned youth advocate and Peer Counsellor at United Bulawayo Hospital, working at the Paediatric Adolescent Treatment for Africa (PATA), took the helm as chair of the Young People’s Lusaka Declaration.
This pivotal declaration emphasizes the urgent need to accelerate access to effective long-acting antiviral drugs for HIV treatment and prevention globally.The declaration was issued during the 7th HIV and Adolescence workshop held in Lusaka, Zambia, where young people from various organizations gathered to address the challenges faced by youth living with and at risk of acquiring HIV.
“We, the youth advocates for comprehensive HIV care, treatment, and prevention, declare our support for the development, accessibility, affordability, and integration of HIV injectable treatments and preventions as an essential component of HIV treatment and care,” Moyo stated.
The declaration highlights the limitations of current HIV treatment and prevention options, particularly in the Global South where HIV prevalence remains highest. Despite significant progress over the past four decades, inequalities hinder progress, and young people face challenges in adherence and persistence with daily pill-taking.
Moyo emphasized the importance of choice in treatment and prevention, stating, “The long-acting injectable treatments increase options and offer choice for both treatment and prevention. Choice is what we need, and choice potentially addresses many of the challenges we face with our treatment and prevention.”
The declaration urges pharmaceutical industries, governments, The Global Fund, PEPFAR, and other key partners to mobilize and advance a future where HIV injectable treatments and prevention are widely accessible, supported by policymakers, and integrated into comprehensive HIV care and prevention strategies.
As Moyo noted in an interview, “Differentiated service delivery is the way to go. We look at how best the services can be provided to clients. This is a model that comes with putting the clients first and providing them with quality service delivery.”
The Young People’s Lusaka Declaration has received support from various organizations, including the UNITED movement, HIV & Adolescence 2023 Youth Reference Group, AfroCAB, Zambia Youth Hub, Global Network of Young People living with HIV (Y+ Global), Operation Triple Zero, Paediatric Adolescent Treatment and Penta Foundation Young Reporters. By chairing this declaration, Phakamani Moyo reinforces his commitment to youth-friendly HIV service delivery, a cause he has championed as an IAS 2018 Youth Champion.
The Young People’s Lusaka Declaration will gather more support at the Paediatric-Adolescent -Treatment Africa (PATA) annual Summit taking place from 4-6 November 2024 in Pretoria, Gauteng under the theme, ‘Together in -Care: Healthcare Champions for Children.
