THE COST OF INACTION: The cost of not realizing the HIV and sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda

UNAIDS uses ‘cost of inaction’ as an indicator of the negative impact on the lives of people and communities of not investing resources to end AIDS. This issue is particularly significant with regard to the provision of HIV and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for young people in eastern and southern Africa.

The cost of inaction for young people is especially significant as the impact extends through most of their life. 

This report explores the costs of inaction in not realising the HIV and SRHR needs of young people in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, focusing on costs related to: 

1) adolescent pregnancies

2) HIV acquisition

3) gender-based violation.

Using a cost of inaction approach, this report calculates the annual current cost of the inadequate provision of HIV and SRHR services to young people aged 15–24 years old in the three countries. This provides a foundation for alternative policies to be costed to address these gaps and a true cost–benefit analysis to be conducted.