Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS Joins the Public Health Institute, Continues to Build Capacity of Young Leaders in the Global Response to HIV

The Public Health Institute (PHI) is pleased to announce that the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GYCA), a network of young leaders and adult allies working with youth on HIV/AIDS around the world, has recently joined the organization. GYCA’s mission is to empower young leaders with the skills, knowledge, resources and opportunities they need to scale up HIV/AIDS interventions amongst their peers.

GYCA was formed in 2004 when young participants of the Bangkok International AIDS Conference came together to form an international network to build the capacity of young leaders from across the globe, to secure their rights through political advocacy, and to share information and resources with each other.

GYCA’s two main programs include a capacity-building e-course program, which offers e-learning opportunities to GYCA members, and a Focal Points program, which provides key elected GYCA members with leadership and networking opportunities. GYCA will also be involved in the YouthForce for the International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC in July 2012.

GYCA is co-coordinated by Lindsay Menard-Freeman based in Brooklyn, NY, and Sydney Hushie based in Accra, Ghana. Both Hushie and Menard-Freeman have been with GYCA for several years as young people working on the global response to HIV. They look forward to strengthening GYCA’s capacity through a partnership with PHI.