Triggerise is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) to empower young people in Kenya to take control of their mental and physical health on their own terms. The $1 million grant from EJAF will ensure all Triggerise-associated clinics in Mombasa, Kenya provide mental health screening and services (ranging from individual and group counselling to trauma-based care) over the next three years. These crucial mental health offerings will be fully integrated with Triggerise’s pre-existing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services for young people between the ages of 15 and 24.

The partnership also ensures that pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and antiretroviral therapy (ART) are part of Triggerise’s established offerings in Mombasa, as seamless access to SRH is crucial for this age group. Triggerise will, for the first time, work across both an existing private sector network of clinics and expand its platform coverage to include public sector clinics providing HIV services. Members will then be enrolled onto Triggerise’s mobile-powered platform, connecting them to appropriate services at no cost. The platform will anonymously track their HIV care journey with the goal of keeping them on treatment and accessing services. The Triggerise platform also allows for feedback on service experience so improvements can be made to meet young people’s ever-evolving needs.

We are honoured to partner on this important initiative with Elton John AIDS Foundation, said Richard Matikanya, Chief Operating Officer of Triggerise. The timing of this investment is particularly exciting, as the growing mental health burden among young people in their diversity — particularly those living with HIV — has largely been overlooked. Our partnership will allow us to contribute to the evidence base on how to ensure that young people have access to mental health services that respond to their needs on their terms.

The Elton John AIDS Foundation is very excited to have the opportunity to partner with the innovative team at Triggerise to expand its existing programme for young people to include services to support their mental health,” said Anne Aslett, Chief Executive Officer of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. “We know that mental health and physical health are syndemic and therefore critical to address simultaneously.

Triggerise’s easy-to-use youth-centric platform has the potential to reach underserved, and often discriminated against young people, many of whom are LGBTQ+, Dr. Lindsay Hayden, who leads the Young People portfolio at the Elton John AIDS Foundation. We’re eager to empower them with the information, support, and services they need to live holistically healthy lives.