Gaborone, Botswana – 1–3 October 2025, At this year’s International Workshop on Adolescence, SRHR, and HIV in Gaborone, young people once again proved that they are not just participants in global health conversations; they are leading them. The annual gathering brought together hundreds of advocates, scientists, policymakers, and civil society to explore new and emerging interventions in HIV, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and adolescent well-being.
Despite the decline in AIDS-related mortality worldwide, adolescents, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, continue to bear a disproportionate burden. According to UNICEF, AIDS remains the leading cause of death among adolescents in 12 countries across the region, and adolescent girls are almost six times more likely to acquire HIV than boys of the same age 1. At the same time, millions of girls face early and unintended pregnancies, often under conditions of violence or limited access to health services. These challenges are compounded for young people living with and affected by HIV, young key populations, and LGBTIQ+ youth, who remain marginalised and excluded from essential health systems.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Hon. Lawrence Ookeditse, Botswana’s Assistant Minister of Health, called for continued unity in ending AIDS and protecting the rights and well-being of adolescents and young people.
“We must remain united in eliminating AIDS and safeguarding the lives and well-being of all adolescents and young people living with and affected by HIV,”Hon. Lawrence Ookeditse
Deputy Minister of Health, Botswana
[From left to right: Hon. Lawrence Ookeditse, Botswana’s Assistant Minister of Health; Group photo with the UNITED! Movement members]
Throughout the workshop, Y+ Global and its partners championed this call through three flagship initiatives, the UNITED! Movement, the READY Movement, and You(th) Care, each demonstrating how youth leadership is transforming advocacy into action.
“The partnership between Y+ Global, UNICEF ESARO, and the UNITED! Movement partners and endorsers of the workshop signify a commitment to action. It marks a move towards practical steps and meaningful youth engagement. By prioritising the needs of those most affected by HIV in this workshop, we are building young leaders' skills and confidence to advocate for a fairer, more effective HIV and SRHR response for their peers.”Faith Thipe
Programmes Officer: UNITED! Movement at Y+ Global
[Participants at the Youth Networking event hosted by the UNITED! Movement, supported by UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa]
Ahead of the workshop, the UNITED! Movement hosted a Youth Networking Event in collaboration with the Youth Reference Group, the Botswana National Youth Council, and UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa under the 2gether4 SRHR partnership. The event united young advocates across Africa and beyond to exchange ideas and co-create solutions, including a pre-event youth survey whose findings will inform a forthcoming advocacy brief on the impact of foreign aid cuts on HIV and SRHR. The night also featured the debut of a playful yet powerful HIV & SRHR card game, adapted from UNICEF’s HIV & SRHR SBC Toolkit for Adolescents and Young People in the ESA Region, that sparked open and honest conversations about health and rights.
[UNITED! Movement skills building session, group work and presentation]
Building on this momentum, the READY Movement and You(th) Care led youth-driven skill-building sessions during the workshop, focusing on meaningful engagement and practical self-care. In one session, READY+ leads from Y+ Global, Modester Mangilani, and Priscilla Ama Addo unpacked the We Matter, Value Us guidelines, demonstrating how ethical and meaningful youth engagement can strengthen advocacy at every level. Meanwhile, Ivy Jebet, who leads the You(th) Care programme at Y+ Global, guided participants through its Self-Care Toolkit for Young People Living with HIV, assisting them in designing personal self-care plans and exploring ways to promote well-being and autonomy in their communities.
"Building movements like READY isn’t just about visibility; it’s about shifting power and doing development differently. It’s about creating a space where young people are not only heard but also believed and valued. When young people are engaged meaningfully, we develop solutions that truly work, and that is where sustainable change occurs,”Modester Mangilani
Senior Programmes Officer: READY Program at Y+ Global
[Participants at the READY Skills-building session led by Modester (pictured left) and Priscilla (pictured right)]
Together, these initiatives showcased what reimagined youth-led programming looks like in action, where young people are equipped with tools, knowledge, and networks to hold systems accountable and shape the policies that affect their lives.
“Spaces that intentionally focus on conversations about self-care and well-being highlight the importance of maintaining youth-led initiatives like You(th) Care. We must keep these programmes alive and running. In these times, practising self-care can be transformative, enhancing physical and mental health and forming a crucial base for effective advocacy and lasting impact.”Ivy Jebet
Programmes Officer at Y+ Global
The International Workshop on Adolescence, SRHR, and HIV 2025 reaffirmed that the future of global health depends on meaningful youth leadership, where young people are recognised not as beneficiaries, but as partners driving progress toward a more inclusive, equitable, and healthy world for all.
[From left to right: Group photo of participants from the READY skills building session; Group photo of participants from the You(th) Care skills building session]
1 UNICEF (2024) Adolescent girls are six times as likely to acquire HIV than boys in Eastern and Southern Africa, where rates of early pregnancy and gender-based violence are some of the world’s highest, unicef.org/esa/press-releases/adolescent-girls-are-six-times-likely-acquire-hiv-boys-eastern-and-southern-africa