With U.S. government funding for culturally tailored HIV prevention and treatment programs cut, activists say it has become difficult to secure support for interventions serving young key populations in the Philippines.
Date: 7/25
Region: East Asia & Pacific
Country: Philippines
Topic: Health, Gender Equality & Inclusion
Policy Lens: Global Health Security
Entry Type: Secondary Effect
Additional Context: According to UNAIDS, one of the programs cancelled as a consequence of the U.S. funding cuts was the EpiC-supported Free to be Youth Hub. This think tank developed culturally resonant HIV prevention and treatment support approaches specifically for young people, running 12 projects in the country. These included an academy for social media influencers, an innovative approach to HIV education, and a peer-led project to re-enroll youth who had stopped HIV treatment. While the youth involved have ramped up efforts to engage the private sector and foundations to replace funding lost, they have faced barriers.
Source: UNAIDS