Child participation in advocacy: A recommended approach for effective HIV prevention among adolescents in Malawi
Keywords:
Adolescents, advocacy,, child participation,, HIV, Malawi, peer influence.Abstract
Why are adolescents more vulnerable to HIV infection than any other age group in Malawi? This question
requires serious attention considering that HIV awareness is at 99 percent, suggesting that almost every
Malawians is aware of the pandemic, yet infection rate among adolescents remains unabated. In this paper, I
analyze current approaches to HIV advocacy in Malawi to explain why adolescents are more vulnerable than
other age groups. Noting that HIV advocacy in Malawi is mostly left to experts and professionals, I argue that
the country cannot reduce HIV infection among adolescents when her strategic plan is not inclusive of
children as carriers of HIV messages. I therefore, recommend approaches that involve children to actively
participate in HIV advocacy in order to be more effective in reducing HIV among adolescents in Malawi.
