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As a world leader in HIV prevention strategies for young people, loveLife will be hosting a comprehensive plenary session. The session will include an overview of loveLife since it was launched in 1999, looking at whether the implementation of a comprehensive programme such as loveLife has worked for South Africa, focusing discussions around the organisation’s cutting-edge strategies and multi-pronged campaign that have been designed to help South Africa’s youth take a lead in ensuring an HIV-free future. The session will also look at where loveLife is headed in the next 10 years to further reduce the rate of new infections among young people.

Grace Matlhape, CEO of loveLife; former CEO of loveLife, Dr David Harrison and one of loveLife’s ex-groundBREAKERs Lerato Mahoyi will form part of the panel of speakers.

They will be joined by Prof Linda Richter, who is Executive Director of Child, Youth, Family and Social Development at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and one of loveLife’s Board of Trustee members, who will also be chairing the session at the conference.

“loveLife aims to shift young people’s perceptions of opportunity, and in turn reduce their tolerance of risk of HIV infection through a holistic approach to prevention. The reduction of tolerance of risk however requires a different approach to prevention, focusing on strategies that are not necessarily about behaviour, but young people’s response to their circumstances,” says Botha Swarts, National Head of Communication for loveLife.  

The loveLife satellite session: ‘Sharing the experiences of the first 10 years of loveLife and making recommendations for HIV prevention among young people’ will be held on Sunday, the 18th of July at 13:30-15:30 (Mini-Room 7).

For more information about the session and participation at the conference, please contact Botha Swarts on +27 (0)72 229 0618.