Welcome to GYCA!
 | | GYCA members conducting outreach in Nigeria |
AIDS was first discovered over 25 years ago. Yet today, 6,800 people will be infected with HIV. Of the 2.5 million people infected yearly, young people ages 15-24 account for 40 percent of new infections. Poverty, unemployment, a lack of education, sexual violence and gender inequality increase the vulnerability of young people to HIV infection.
11.4 million children and adolescents have been orphaned by AIDS and are now heads of households, as we lose an entire generation of parents, teachers, workers and doctors in many regions. Although world leaders committed that by 2005, 90% of young people would know how to protect themselves from infection, currently in the hardest hit countries, less than half of youth can correctly identify modes of HIV transmission.
Despite the debilitating effects of AIDS, young leaders are taking action in their communities to prevent the spread of the disease and to address the devastating consequences of the pandemic. In fact, evidence shows that young people are most effective at changing the risk behaviors of their peers and at shaping a better future for themselves and their families.
The Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GYCA) recognizes the potential of young leaders as the best force to address AIDS in their own communities, and empowers them with the knowledge, skills, resources and opportunities they need to scale up and expand their initiatives.
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UNGASS National Youth Shadow Reports
GYCA members from 10 countries launched National Youth Shadow Reports to evaluate their government's progress (or lack thereof) on the 2001 UNGASS Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS youth targets, in time for the June High Level Meetings at the UN Secretariat in New York.
Find Out More
UN briefing on Youth Living with HIV
GYCA helped organize an informal delegates briefing with UNFPA, and UNAIDS, hosted by the Jamaican Government, on May 21st. Ramy Nasr from Egypt, GYCA's Regional Focal Point for the Middle East and North Africa, and GYCA member Veronicah Omunga from Kenya spoke on the barriers toward achieving universal access for youth, especially youth living with HIV.
GYCA's Fact Sheet on Youth Living With HIV (based on revised data as of 2007)
Agente de Cambio Scholarship Competition
GYCA teamed up with MTV Latin America, UNFPA and Fundacion Huesped to create a 30 second ad currently airing all across Latin America to encourage young people Latin Americans to apply for a scholarship to be a digital reporter at the Mexico International AIDS Conference.
Mexico YouthForce
GYCA is one of the main coordinating organizations of the Mexico City YouthForce for next August's XVII International AIDS Conference, "AIDS2008".
Click here to join the AIDS2008 e-group!
ICASA2008
GYCA's South Secretariat in Ghana is coordinating the youth program for the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa, ICASA, in Dakar, Senegal (December 2008).
Find out more or write to Sydney Hushie for more information!
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