UNAIDS Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT) on HIV and Young People: Guidance Briefs

A series of seven "Guidance Briefs" has been developed by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT). They are focused on helping decision makers (including development practitioners, governments, donors, and civil society organisations) understand what needs to be done to address HIV and AIDS, based on the latest global evidence on effective interventions for young people. The briefs will be published in all six UN languages.

The IATT developed the following series of seven briefs:

• Overview of HIV interventions for young people: This brief provides information on the topics of behaviour, gender, HIV drivers, risk and vulnerability, national AIDS responses, partnerships and multi-sectoral approaches, monitoring, and actions for UN country teams.
• HIV interventions for most-at-risk young people: This brief provides guidance to UN country team staffs, governments, development partners, civil society, and other implementing partners on HIV interventions for most-at-risk young people. It includes key issues in working on HIV risk behaviour with young people, effectiveness of interventions, a human rights approach, and a series of key interventions, including: behaviour change communication (BCC), advocacy, participation, risk-reduction skills, mass media, peer education, and outreach strategies.
• HIV interventions for young people in humanitarian emergencies: This brief provides guidance on implementing effective HIV interventions for young people in humanitarian emergencies. Topics include: Creation of a safe and supportive environment - human rights, protection, and vulnerability reduction; HIV interventions for young people in emergency settings; protection; BCC; health snd food/nutritional and livelihood support; and rights, protection, and vulnerability reduction.
• Community-based HIV interventions for young people: From the Introduction - "Community-based approaches build on shared values and norms, belief systems, and social practices, permitting culturally sensitive discussions of HIV and sexual and reproductive health. A thorough understanding of common values and belief systems also helps to identify positive values and practices that can facilitate and more effectively promote HIV interventions. Thus cultural knowledge, awareness, and engagement of local communities are vital in advancing effective and sustainable change."
  
• HIV interventions for young people in the education sector: According to this brief: "The Global Campaign for Education has estimated that universal primary education would prevent 700,000 new cases of HIV each year, and the World Bank states that education is an effective 'social vaccine' against HIV".
  
• HIV interventions for young people in the health sector: As indicated in this brief, "[i]f young people are to benefit from the contribution that health services can make to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, these services need to be provided in ways that respond to their specific age and gender needs," as described in the document.
  
• HIV interventions for young people in the workplace: The workplace, according to this brief, provides an opportunity to extend access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services through education and training programmes, health and safety policies, support for treatment adherence, skills development and income support, and occupational health services. In addition, workplace policies set standards for the protection of workers’ rights, including nondiscrimination related to HIV status.
  

 IATT membership includes the UNAIDS Secretariat and UNAIDS co-sponsors, along with a growing number of youth networks/associations, donors, civil society, and research institutions.