Breaking Down Barriers to Health Services

Overview

In many countries, those most in need of health services often cannot access them, because of human rights-related barriers fuelled by stigma and discrimination, gender inequality, punitive laws, and violence.

Our programme supports young leaders in Breaking Down Barriers countries across Africa, Asia, Central and South America and Eastern Europe, to change the public narrative around marginalised groups that prevents them accessing life-saving services. We provide dual-track training to young journalists and young civil society leaders in the Global Fund’s network on human rights and health issues, alongside how to more effectively interact with the media and decision-makers.

We also engage young lawyers in our global pro bono legal network TrustLaw to support research and capacity-building for CSOs, to better equip them to challenge societal stigma and hold policy makers to account. An alumni network of young journalists and activists was launched at the start of the programme to drive real change in attitudes, practices and policy.

Key highlights

• Over 130 journalists and CSOs have completed the training programme so far, bolstering our network of programme alumni working to challenge narratives in countries where stigma and discrimination persist.
• Most trained journalists have now published articles on access to healthcare, and civil society professionals have reported increased confidence in engaging key decision makers. 
• As part of the programme’s latest cycle, which launched in 2024, the Global Fund commissioned a research project through TrustLaw on barriers to accessing health services for young people.
• Lawyers from eight countries in the TrustLaw network (Cameroon, Ghana, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, Nigeria, Thailand, and South Africa) conducted a review into the legal and policy frameworks in these countries, to be used in the Global Fund’s ongoing work.

Hear from participants to find out how the training has empowered them to help change the public narrative around marginalised communities: