Abuja (June 13, 2025) In addition to celebrating children across Africa as the hope and future of the continent, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria is marking this year’s Day of the African Child – under the theme ‘Be the Hero of Your Health’ – with the revitalization of AHF’s Boys2Men program. This renewed commitment aims to boost visibility, awareness, and action for adolescent boys and young men (ABYM) in HIV, Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) programming across the continent.

While global and regional efforts have made substantial strides in reducing HIV incidence, ABYM in Africa continue to be left behind, as they are notably underrepresented in HIV testing, prevention, and treatment services in sub-Saharan Africa. Compared to young women, ABYM often start treatment late and have lower adherence, resulting in poorer health outcomes and higher transmission risk. Launched in 2018, AHF’s Boys2Men program addresses these gaps by promoting positive masculinity, early testing and treatment initiation, and stigma-free care for ABYM.

“For too long, adolescent boys and young men have been the invisible demographic in the fight against HIV,” said AHF Africa Bureau Chief Dr. Penninah Iutung. “Harmful gender norms teach them that seeking help is a sign of weakness, and stigma keeps them silent—even when their lives are at risk. Revitalizing our Boys2Men program is a bold step to change that narrative by empowering young men to take control of their health, access the care they need, and redefine what it means to be strong.”

In Nigeria, AHF Nigeria will host a football match between the AHF boys and the soccer team of the Waru Community, Abuja. The Waru community in Abuja is home to one of AHF Nigeria’s facility, as the community also boasts of a Community Advocacy Club, AHF Africa Bureau flagship grassroots advocacy initiative.

The football match will take place on Saturday June 21^st and presents an opportunity to engage young boys on building positive masculinity and being resilient in the face of multiple environmental factors that young boys are faced with today.

“The 2025 Day of the African Child commemoration is an intelligent response to the quiet but consistent yearnings of our boys who have long desired a structured interface to engage and positively deal with the peculiar challenges boys are faced with growing up in our terrain and I am happy we are able to revitalize the Boys2Men program for the benefit of adolescent boys and young men (ABYM), who will find the program’s offering exceptional to their growth” said Dr. Echey Ijezie, AHF Nigeria Country Program Director (CPD).

Since 2022, AHF has used the Day of the African Child to amplify calls for youth-friendly HIV services, CSE, SRHR, and stronger public policies addressing gender-based violence and teenage pregnancy. This year, in addition to on-the-ground interventions such as HIV testing, condom distribution, and other outreach efforts, the Day of the African Child events will reaffirm AHF’s commitment to ensure ABYM are not left behind.

Observed annually on June 16, the Day of the African Child commemorates the 1976 Soweto Uprising – when students in South Africa marched in protest of poor-quality education and demanded teaching instruction in their languages – and were violently suppressed by police forces. Today, it serves as a platform to advocate for the rights, health, and development of children across the continent.

(AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 2.3 million clients in 48 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare