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Background: Amidst the global crisis of 70.8 million forcibly displaced individuals, of whom 25.9 million are refugees as of 2019, the need for accessible HIV prevention services in humanitarian settings has become increasingly urgent, particularly among young refugees. Leveraging funding from the International AIDS Society Seed Grant, we established a comprehensive HIV prevention and harm reduction service hub within the Adagom refugee settlement in Nigeria, catering specifically to the needs of young Cameroonian refugees.

Description: In collaboration with a local NGO (Today For Tomorrow Foundation) and settlement authorities, a walk-in center was constructed in the heart of the refugee settlement, comprising 41 communities. One young person from each community was selected based on predefined criteria and trained as an HIV peer educator. The training encompassed comprehensive sexuality education, HIV testing methodologies, harm reduction service provision, and other related services. These certified peer educators subsequently returned to their communities to educate peers and gather data using the Kobo Collect app.

Lessons learned: During the initial six-month implementation phase ending in December, the hub serviced 1,500 young refugees, with a notable 63% female attendance. Strikingly, 90% of these individuals had never undergone HIV testing prior. The hub recorded a low HIV-positive rate of 0.45%, with about 31% of the female being teenage mothers. Although quantitatively challenging to measure, the hub witnessed an overwhelming demand post-public sensitization, exhausting supplies intended for a 2,500-population size twice within six months.

Conclusions: The peer-to-peer model has proven remarkably effective in HIV prevention efforts among young refugees in the Adagom settlement. It not only facilitated increased awareness and service uptake but also demonstrated a sustainable, community-driven approach to health education. Building on this success, the next phase aims to scale up the project to other refugee settlements and Internally Displaced Persons camps across Nigeria, potentially amplifying the model''s impact on a national scale.