#HIVTalks: youth-led digital HIV prevention in Wakiso, Uganda
In Kajjansi, Zzana and Bwerenga, in Uganda’s Wakiso District, a new generation of tech-savvy young people is ready to change the story of HIV. #HIVTalks puts HIV prevention in their hands.
Funded by the Mercury Phoenix Trust
The challenge
Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world, and young people carry a disproportionate share of new HIV infections. Many lack accurate, complete information about how HIV is prevented, tested for and treated. Stigma, myths and fear still shape how they think and talk about it, and many feel too anxious to visit a clinic or raise the subject with an adult.
They are also the most connected generation Uganda has had. Yet HIV prevention has not kept pace with their move online, and misinformation spreads fast there. When trust in official sources is fragile, a message from a peer carries more weight than a message from an institution.
A youth-led, digital-first response
#HIVTalks puts the response in young people’s hands. Over twelve months, twenty young leaders from Mildmay Uganda’s youth programme, trained as Digital Health Champions, will run a campaign in Kajjansi, Zzana and Bwerenga, in Wakiso District.
They will take clear, accurate HIV information into schools, vocational institutes and communities, and onto young people’s phones, so that what young people see online is backed up by someone they can talk to face to face.
What the project will do
Run 60 peer-led sessions reaching 3,000 young people aged 10 to 24, in six schools, three vocational institutes and with young people out of school
Hold three youth dialogues where young people set local priorities
Host 108 live discussions on Instagram, TikTok and X, with explainer videos, short clips and radio spots in English and Luganda, all shared on Facebook too
Launch the HIVTalks Assistant, a free web chatbot in English and Luganda that opens on any phone, answers questions in private and points young people to nearby testing clinics and confidential helplines.
Working with local partners
The campaign is rooted in the communities it serves. Sub-county and community leaders open doors to schools, institutes and venues, and host the youth dialogues. District peer supporters mentor the young leaders, and Mildmay Uganda’s clinical lead approves all content before it is published. Rather than set up new services, the project links young people to ones that already exist and will continue: local clinics, UNICEF’s U-Report and the Sauti 116 helpline. Teachers and community leaders are involved throughout, helping to make schools and communities places where young people can talk about HIV without fear.
Built to last
The chatbot is owned by Mildmay Uganda and costs nothing to run after launch. The social media channels will continue under named owners, and the leaders remain part of Mildmay Uganda’s youth programme.
Measuring change
Surveys at the start and end of the project will track young people’s knowledge of HIV, their attitudes towards people living with HIV, and whether they know where to get help. The results will show whether this low-cost model works, and whether it could be taken to other communities and districts in Uganda.
Project timeline
Month 1: funds released; youth leaders confirmed
Months 1–2: refresher training, content preparation, chatbot built and tested
Months 2–3: youth dialogues in Kajjansi, Zzana and Bwerenga; baseline survey
Month 3: public launch of #HIVTalks and the HIVTalks Assistant
Months 3–11: live discussions, peer sessions and radio spots
Month 6: progress report
Month 11: endline survey
Month 12: results shared with local leaders; channels handed to long-term owners; final report
Funds were transferred to Mildmay Uganda in the first week of October, and it is anticipated that the project will start in November and run for 12 months.
Help #HIVTalks go further
This project is made possible by the generous support of the Mercury Phoenix Trust, which is funding its first year in full.
If it works, young people in many more communities could benefit. Your donation can help Mildmay Uganda keep #HIVTalks going beyond its first year and bring it to young people in other parts of Uganda, so that more of them have the facts, the confidence and someone to turn to.
Header photo credit: Workman House
See also:
An ambitious programme to expand access to essential care in underserved communities across Uganda.
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Comprehensive services: Maternity, newborn and child health, HIV and HIV‑related neurological care, non‑communicable diseases, disability‑inclusive rehabilitation, and palliative support.
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First centre: Rebuilding JOY Health Centre & Hospice (Mbale) into a 30+ bed, disability‑inclusive regional hub.
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Integrated model: Diagnostics, outpatient and inpatient care, community outreach, telemedicine, and referral pathways.
Since 2002, more than 2,000 children and adolescents have received psychosocial services and economic support.
By moving to a Universal Fund model, we ensure that healthcare, education, and food security are delivered equitably to all young people in our care, regardless of individual sponsorship status.