Nyovani Madise

African Population & Health Research Center Inc. (APHRC)

Nyovani joined APHRC in November 2004 as a Senior Research Scientist. Prior to this, Nyovani was a Reader in Social Statistics and the Director of the Centre for AIDS Research, University of Southampton (UK). She has previously held high-ranking posts at the same university including Senior Lecturer in Social Statistics (2002-2004), Lecturer in Social Statistics and Program Manager of Opportunities and Choices Reproductive Health Research Program (1999-2001), and Lecturer in Social Statistics (1994-1999). Prior to these, she was a Lecturer in Statistics at the University of Malawi between 1985-94. Nyovani holds a PhD in Social Statistics; an MSc (Social Sciences); and a BSc (Honours).

Youth, Wealth and HIV Prevention

Nyovani Madise

Nyovani Janet Madise is a senior research scientist at the African Population & Health Research Center (a research partner of the Guttmacher Institute) in Nairobi, Kenya. She is in New York today to participate in a United Nations panel on youth as part of the 40th session of the Commission and Population and Development.


I just arrived in New York, among other reasons to participate in a panel discussion today titled "Preparing the Next Generation—Safeguarding Adolescents' Healthy Transition to Adulthood." The panel is a side event on the occasion of the meeting of the UN's Commission on Population and Development.

My recent work has focused on solving what at first glance may seem like a contradiction: The poorest adolescents in Africa engage in riskier sexual behavior, but, according to recent evidence, the wealthiest adolescents have the highest rates of HIV. I suspect that this may be because wealthier young people can afford to have sexual relationships with more partners, thus increasing their exposure to the virus.