At AIDS 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, host Ben Plumley speaks with Wame Jallow, Jerop Limo, and JulieBrenda Waweru about Shuga Global’s evolution from the MTV Staying Alive Foundation and why entertainment-education remains relevant for HIV prevention and youth health. They discuss how Shuga’s storytelling reflects young people’s lived realities, helps break taboos, builds agency, and connects audiences to services through a broader ecosystem that includes peer education, screenings, and chatbots. The guests describe how Gen Z’s autonomy, digital media habits, and demand for solutions require new ways of communicating health, while addressing backlash, misinformation, and harmful online influences. They also share reflections from the conference on shifting resources, community leadership, new prevention and treatment options, and the need to fund and empower youth-led solutions through stronger government and civil society collaboration.
00:00 Welcome and Guests
01:14 What Is Shuga Now
01:22 From MTV to Global Movement
02:38 Proof Entertainment Works
04:54 Why Shuga Still Matters
07:28 Fan Stories and Impact
09:16 Gen Z Needs New Approach
14:23 Solutions Not Lectures
16:14 Youth Activism and Health Demands
17:45 Media Shift And Backlash
18:32 Short Clips For Health
19:02 Shuga As Holistic Support
21:18 Competing With Misinformation
22:45 Trust And Community Dialogue
24:43 Conference Takeaways
26:34 Science And Choice Agenda
27:30 Youth Power And Funding
30:56 Partnership With Government
32:21 Watch Shuga And Wrap Up
Guests
Wame Jallow
Executive Director, Shuga Global
Jerop Limo
Executive Director, Ambassador For Youth and Adolescent Reproductive Health Program (AYARHEP)
JulieBrenda Waweru
Actress, Shuga Mashariki , Shuga Global
Shuga Global
https://shuga.global
AIDS 2026
https://www.iasociety.org/conferences/aids2026
Check Out Ben’s Substack:
https://substack.com/@benplumley1
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