It was not just a youth gathering this year, the 2026 National Youth Summit was a timely and strategic platform to interact with young people on various issues concerning their wellbeing.
The summit, themed “Accelerating Progress: Reflecting on Impact, Expanding Prospects for Youth Development in Malawi,” run from 18th to 20th August 2026. It took place at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe.
Several exhibitions were displayed by various stakeholders, and National AIDS Commission was one of them. The Commission actively engaged with young people at its booth, where they accessed information about HIV prevention options, including VMMC, PEP, eMTCT, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) options such as oral PrEP, CAB-LA, and Lenacapavir. Throughout the 3 day-summit, NAC booth was flooded by young people, and they were provided with HIV and AIDS related information to help them make choices on accessing HIV prevention, treatment and care services.
The Commission also provided HIV prevention materials, including condoms and educational booklets, to help young people access accurate information and make informed choices about their health.
NAC’s engagement with the young people reached the climax on day three. Shouts of joy and songs such as “Obaya kawiri-yo! Kuli waw!! wa!! waaa!!! carried the day as NAC’s HIV Prevention officer Mr. James Njobvuyalema lured the young people in an interactive session on HIV prevention and PrEP options. Mr. Njobvuyalema educated the youth on the different PrEP options available and encouraged them to make informed choices about HIV prevention.
“I am happy to let you know that we have three PrEP options in Malawi at your disposal and all are available across the country”, stated NAC’s HIV Prevention officer.
The young people commented that the newly introduced PrEP Lenacapavir is an ideal to keep them safe from HIV exposure. They shouted “Ameneyo ali bwino!!’, describing LEN as a timely and smart Jab for the young people who would not like to visit a health facility frequently to access PrEP.
The interactive session was met with excitement and enthusiasm from the youth, who actively participated throughout the presentation. The energy peaked as the young people chanted, “Tiyeni tonse tikabayitse!”, let’s all go for LEN, creating a lively atmosphere while reinforcing the importance of taking action to prevent HIV. The session highlighted the importance of equipping young people with accurate information and accessible HIV prevention options.
NAC’s Acting Director of Programmes, Ms. Tione Chirambe, and Head of HIV Prevention and Management, Dr. Andrina Mwansambo, are also in attendance. They joined the young people on the dance floor at one moment.
Further to that, an interactive youth quiz which NAC organized throughout the session was another catalyst to the traffic of young people to the booth. It was designed to test young people’s knowledge of HIV, prevention methods, LEN PrEP and the work of the National AIDS Commission. The idea was to share accurate information in a more fun and youth friendly fashion. This activity attracted young people, sparked conversations and motivated them to learn more about HIV prevention services and the #SankhaWekha PrEP campaign. Winners pocketed various instant prizes. Below are some of the highlights.
The summit brought together approximately 1,200 young people, providing an important platform for engaging youth in health and HIV prevention. The 2026 National Youth Summit in Lilongwe was organized by the National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCOM) in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
