Ten countries – Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe – account for nearly half of all the new HIV infections that occurred among adolescent girls and young women globally in 2014. Girls and young women account for 71 percent of new HIV infections among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. This must change. The DREAMS initiative aims to help girls develop into
Determined Resilient Empowered AIDS-free Mentored and Safe
women. Many adolescent girls and young women lack a full range of opportunities and are too often devalued leading them to be seen as unworthy of investment or protection. Social isolation, economic disadvantage, discriminatory cultural norms, orphanhood, gender-based violence, and school drop-out all contribute to girls’ vulnerability to HIV. We wish to ensure an AIDS-free future for adolescent girls and young women.