Port-au-Prince, August 26th, 2016 - The juvenilization of AIDS and the large number of teenage mothers are now of national concern for the Haitian government and its partners.

 Among the population aged between 15 and 24 - which represents 20.5% of the total Haitian population according to 2013 statistics - it is estimated that more than 15,500 live with HIV, a figure that includes 61% girls or young women. Moreover, at the age of 17, almost one female teenager in five has already given birth. 

Given the demographic weight of this population segment and the role it will play in the development of the country, it is urgent to give continued high priority to the situation. 

In order to help solve the problem, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and UNAIDS, in support the Haitian government, presented - Friday, August 26th, 2016 - details of the implementation of a project to strengthen the capacities of youth leaders, particularly girls, in advocacy for active participation in the fight against HIV, sexual violence and early pregnancy. 

"I believe in the youth of Haiti, because you believe in the future of this beautiful country" stated the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and Head of MINUSTAH, Sandra Honoré, to an attentive audience of Haitian youth. "We want you as ‘ambassadors’ to tackle the problem of the juvenilization of HIV infection, to [combat] the growth in sexual violence and early pregnancy among Haitian young women." 

The initiative will help to promote the leadership and reinforcement of the capacity of girls and boys with the aim to fight against AIDS, sexual violence and unwanted pregnancies. The direct beneficiaries of the project are 90 young people aged between 15 to 30 from three of the country’s departments most affected by HIV / AIDS infection - namely, the Western, Central and South departments. These young, trained ‘ambassadors’ will be supported, encouraged and monitored in their initiation of public awareness campaigns in the media. 

This project follows a similar undertaking launched in 2015 in the Western departments of Artibonite and the South-East - the implementation of which was highly successful. MINUSTAH funded this project to the tune of 20,000 USD. Now, the UN Mission participates in the 2016 initiative by way of a contribution of 26,000 USD. The project is carried-out by the Fondation Toya in collaboration with the Ministère de la Condition Féminine et aux Droits de la Femme (the Ministry of Women and Women's Rights), MINUSTAH, UNAIDS, UN-Women, the Coalition Haïtienne des Femmes pour la Santé (Haitian Coalition of Women for Health), the Volontariat pour le Développement d’Haïti (VDH - Volunteers for the Development of Haiti) and the Coalition Haïtienne pour le Volontariat (COHAIV - the Haitian Coalition for Volunteering).