Applesta da Costa, head of operations at NGO Human Touch Foundation, will participate in the 2022 Asia-Pacific Youth Forum: ‘Putting young key populations first to end AIDS by 2030’ at Holiday Inn, Bangkok, from 20-21 October 2022.
The Youth Forum is being held to revitalise, re-engage and increase the collaboration and commitment of stakeholders in the HIV response for young key populations and is organised by the Government of Thailand, UNAIDS and Youth LEAD, with support from UNESCO and UNDP.
Psychologist Applesta has been engaged in providing psychosocial support to adolescents and young people living with HIV since 2018 at Human Touch Foundation, which implements some of the best innovative programmes for adolescents and youth living with HIV in the country. She will moderate a panel discussion on ‘Good practices by young key population in the region’ in a talk-show style at the forum.
The forum, which will have 31 youth participants from across the Asia-Pacific region, will advocate for multi-stakeholders’ commitments and actions to strengthen young key populations programming, including ensuring access to services, breaking down barriers hampering the HIV response for young key populations, and ensuring sustainable funding for the response.
It will also create spaces for dialogue, sharing of lessons learned, good practices and innovative interventions in young key populations programmes among youth groups, governments, development partners and other stakeholders in the Asia-Pacific region.
Human Touch Foundation, a youth-focused organisation, implements the largest comprehensive programme for adolescents and young people living with HIV in Goa.
