Youth Movement for HIV/TB/SRHR Advocacy in Zambia

The Youth Movement for HIV/TB/SRHR Advocacy in Zambia (YMHAZ) was officially founded in 2021. As a youth-led movement, they are deeply committed to advancing health equity—particularly in the areas of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), HIV, TB, and related conditions such as hepatitis. Their leadership and programming are shaped by individuals with lived experience, and they strive to ensure that their voices meaningfully inform both our strategic direction and community-level interventions. They integrate viral hepatitis advocacy into its broader youth-led public health response. Their work includes community education and sensitisation on hepatitis B and C, integration of hepatitis screening during HIV/SRHR outreach campaigns, and referral linkages for treatment and care. They also conduct high-level youth-led advocacy targeting government and partners for improved access to testing, vaccination (especially Hepatitis B), and affordable treatment. Their approach is intersectional linking hepatitis with HIV, TB, and sexual and reproductive health among adolescents and young people, especially those from key populations and underserved communities.

Integration has been a cornerstone of all their SRHR interventions, ensuring that services and information are holistic, youth-friendly, and responsive to the evolving health needs of adolescents and young people. At YMHAZ, they have intentionally embedded components of HIV, TB, hepatitis, mental health, and sexual and reproductive health within all their activities recognizing that these issues do not exist in isolation. For instance, through their collaboration with local health facilities, they have facilitated multi-service outreach clinics where young people access HIV testing, hepatitis B screening, STI treatment, and contraceptive services in one setting. They have also actively worked with community gatekeepers, including traditional leaders and faith-based organizations, to challenge stigma and promote uptake of these services most notably engaging 20 churches under the AL Zambia project to champion adolescent health rights and encourage hepatitis education.
Their engagement with duty bearers such as ward councillors, health officers, and Ministry of Education officials has enhanced their advocacy efforts, leading to improved resource allocation for youth health services and greater inclusion of adolescent priorities in local health planning. In the school environment, we have integrated comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), menstrual hygiene, and hepatitis awareness into In-School Teen Clubs across Lusaka, Chongwe, and Kafue, reaching thousands of learners and linking them to care when needed. This multi-sectoral and layered approach has proven effective in creating safe, informed, and enabling environments where young people can thrive.