Getting to Zero & The Road to Universal Access

Youth Consultation on Universal Access to HIV Prevention, Treatment, Care &
Support for Young People in Jamaica

Call  to  Action  

We, the young people who met on April 9, 2011 at the first youth consultation on HIV
and AIDS in Jamaica:
• Responding to the UNAIDS Getting to Zero strategy towards zero new HIV
infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths by 2015;
• Take note of the high incidence and prevalence of HIV among youth ages 15-29
years both locally and in the global context;
• Recognise that the burden of the HIV epidemic is being borne by youth,
especially young women and girls and key populations of young people1;
• Take account of the particular challenges and vulnerabilities faced by youth living
with HIV as it relates to their sexual health and reproductive rights and
• Share the view that the human rights of all young people should be the priority for
the Jamaican Government, International Development Partners, policymakers,
non-governmental and community-based organisations and communities across
the island.

We further acknowledge the large body of scientific evidence that demonstrates that
comprehensive sexuality education empowers young people with the knowledge, skills,
and tools needed to delay sexual initiation, reduce the number of sexual partners, and
increase the use of contraception and condoms. By reducing sexual risk-taking
behaviors, comprehensive sexuality education helps young people stay healthy and
determine and enjoy their sexuality -- physically and emotionally, individually and in
relationships.

Additionally, we accept our responsibility to actively support efforts to reduce the rates
of HIV infection by committing ourselves to a comprehensive response to HIV and AIDS
in Jamaica, the Caribbean and the world through meaningful participation and strong

                                                                                                                     
1
 Young  key  affected  populations  is  defined  as  young  people  living  with  HIV;  young  men  who  have  sex  with  men;  young  women  and  girls;  
lesbian,  gay,  bisexual,  transgender  youth;  young  sex  workers;  young  people  who  use  drugs;  young  people  in  detention;  indigenous  young  
people;  and  young  people  with  disabilities  (Adopted  from  the  Mali  Call  to  Action:  New  Leadership  for  the  HIV  Response)  
  

advocacy to ensure accountability to the Key Actions identified at the International

Conference on Population and Development +5, 2001 Declaration of Commitment on
HIV/AIDS, 2006 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS, and Millennium Development Goals,
among others.

We now call on the Government of Jamaica to:

• Lead a national movement that supports young peopleʼs right to evidence-based,
gender sensitive, and human rights grounded comprehensive sexual
reproductive health education, information and tools to reduce their risk to HIV
and increase their prospects as present and future leaders and contributors to
the development of society
• Take policy and administrative action to ensure that all forms of discrimination
affecting youth are tackled and systems of redress identified and instituted with
the concomitant public education programmes to support their effectiveness
• Review the approach and implementation of the Health and Family Life
Education (HFLE) curriculum as currently being implemented and replace with a
comprehensive sexuality education framework that is grounded in the reality of
young peopleʼs experiences
• Collect strategic age-disaggregated data for informed planning and programming,
including data for the age cohorts 15-19, 20-24, 25-29 years, sex, marital status
and other relevant indicators for young key affected populations
• Involve young key affected populations in designing, implementing and
evaluating comprehensive and confidential health services, including both HIV
and sexual and reproductive health services for young people in both urban and
rural areas, with particular focus on access to treatment, care and support for
young people living with HIV (YPLHIV)
• Ensure core funding for programming and research for youth-led movements and
initiatives, accompanied by the necessary capacity building for achieving the
Millennium Development Goals.

We further call on the private sector, non-government, community-based and

faith-based organisations and the international donor community to support the
Government of Jamaica to
• Harness, invest in and utilize the energy, capacities and expertise of young
people to provide leadership to the development and implementation of polices
and programmes designed to mitigate their risk and vulnerability to HIV and other
sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
  

• Provide funding for programming and research for youth-led movements and
initiatives, accompanied by necessary capacity-building for achieving the
Millennium Development Goals
• Recognize and address the needs of youth from marginalized populations,
including rural youth, young women and girls, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender (LGBT) youth, disabled youth, youth in detention and state care and
youth living with HIV, as critical actors with specific concerns and take action to
guarantee their rights
• Scale up interventions to mitigate the incidence of HIV generated by gender
inequalities and gender-based violence particularly affecting young women and
girls
• Make accessible and affordable, through policy and practice, safer sex
prevention education and sexual and reproductive health commodities, including
male and female condoms, lubricants, emergency contraception and others to
promote and support healthy and positive aspects of sexuality and relationships
while minimizing young peopleʼs vulnerability to HIV and other sexually
transmitted infections (STIs)
• Invest in HIV prevention, treatment, care and support to ensure the goals of three
zeros, new HIV infections, discrimination and AIDS-related deaths, are realized in
the shortest possible time

Dated this 20thday of April 2011

Kingston, Jamaica

SIGNED
Jamaica  Youth  Advocacy  Network   Ashaney  James  (UWI-­‐Student  Ambassadors)  
Chevelle  Campbell   Lacy  Ann  Bartley  (UWI-­‐  Student  Ambassadors)  
Jaevion  Nelson   Daren  Miller  (National  Secondary  Students  Council)  
Orain  Edwards   Jody  Titus  (Clarendon  College)  
Naketa  West   Lori  Morgan  (Eve  for  Life)  
 

Maxalia  Salmon   Glenisha  Henry  (Jamaica  Youth  Crime  Prevention  Council)  

Vivian  Black   Kacy  Miller  (Post  Graduate  Student,  UWI  Mona)  
Jamaica  Youth  Ambassadors  Programme   Angeline  Jackson  (Women  for  Women)  
Ruth  Lawrence   Everald  Daley  (Ghettowise  Education)  
Dwayne  Gutzmer   Ivan  Cruickshank  (Caribbean  Vulnerable  Communities  Coalition)