Implementing WHO evidence-based interventions for adolescents and young adults living with and affected by HIV

Overview

Adolescents and young adults aged 10-24 remain underserved in the global response against HIV. Combination prevention, treatment and care programmes use a mix of evidence-based interventions to meet the current HIV prevention needs of adolescents and young adults. However, there needs to be a focus on priority interventions that are evidence-based, practical, contextual and sustainable. This document highlights interventions and recommendations that have passed through the evidence-based lens of the WHO.

Building on a large body of evidence that has informed WHO guidelines, this document seeks to accomplish 2 objectives:

• to highlight and prioritize evidence-based interventions and recommendations across the HIV cascade that focus on adolescents and young adults; and
• to identify implementation considerations that are central to the effective translation of these guidelines from evidence into practice, as well as highlight evidence gaps.

The needs of adolescents transcend HIV. While this document focuses largely on the HIV cascade, adolescent relevant recommendations from tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and hepatitis B and C, are also featured given the syndemics of HIV, STIs and Hepatitis.