UNICEF catalyzes HIV results with and for adolescents using dedicated 7 percent set-aside funding
Funds set aside for innovative programmes for children are yielding tangible results in Africa
Highlights
Each year the UNICEF Executive Director allocates 7 per cent of UNICEF’s regular resources to a range of innovative programmes for children and adolescents with the greatest need.
Recognizing the urgency to curb new HIV infections and reduce AIDS-related deaths among adolescents, the Executive Director prioritized set-aside funds for adolescent HIV programming in five countries in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) - Botswana, Eswatini, Rwanda, Zambia and Zimbabwe - during 2019-2021.
The five UNICEF Country Offices invested strategically and deepened partnerships to
leverage greater impact and scale. The flexibility of set-aside funds was particularly important at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing for innovation and acceleration amidst challenges to service continuity and emerging threats to HIV,
adolescent sexual and reproductive health, and mental health.
This report offers a glimpse into the results achieved and impact felt from these programmes and makes recommendations to to build upon these efforts to achieve scale and sustainability, demonstrating that targeted funding and tailored programming combined can reach, engage and support the most vulnerable adolescents and young people with the highest needs.
