UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office convened a regional Think Tank “Targeting HIV and SRHR Programmes to Better Meet the Needs of Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Eastern and Southern Africa.” This multi-stakeholder forum brought together over 50 experts and thought leaders from across the region - including representatives from government ministries, non-governmental organisations, civil society, youth networks, academic institutions, research bodies, and implementing partners. The Think Tank served as a platform for cross-sectoral dialogue, exchange of experience, and joint reflection on how to enhance the reach, relevance, and impact of AGYW-focused programmes through better targeting.

Its objectives were to:

• Share evidence, lessons learned, and insights from research, programmes, and models to inform approaches to targeting
• Improve understanding of how geographical risk-targeting can influence programme quality
• Identify the programme architecture required to enable effective geographical and individual targeting
• Improve understanding of how data can be a valuable tool to inform programme targeting at both geographical and individual levels
• Develop key considerations to improve the effective delivery of AGYW programmes in ESA.

This implementation brief draws on the discussions, evidence, and collective expertise shared during the Think Tank. It aims to support country-level stakeholders in translating those insights into practical, context-appropriate AGYW programme strategies and evidence-informed targeting approaches across the ESA region.