HPAIR 2026 Impact Challenge: Empowering Young People to Turn Ideas into Practical Solutions

HPAIR 2026 Impact Challenge Concludes: Empowering Young People to Turn Ideas into Practical Solutions

How can a young person who reads about HIV or STIs online feel confident enough to seek appropriate care? The question sounds simple, but the journey from viewing or engaging with digital content to accessing a service can involve many barriers: fear of judgment, concerns about privacy, a lack of guidance, or uncertainty about where to begin.

This was the challenge that Lighthouse Social Enterprise brought to the HPAIR 2026 Impact Challenge, held as part of the HPAIR 2026 Asia Conference at VinUniversity in August 2026. The conference was organized by the Harvard College Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR). As a Challenge Partner, we had the opportunity to work with young people from across Asia to explore solutions that are both creative and practical to implement.

A Challenge Rooted in Community Work

In health communication, public interest is a valuable starting point. A post can help young people learn about HIV testing, HIV prevention, or sexual health care. But access to information does not necessarily mean someone can overcome their concerns and use a service when they need it.

That is why the challenge presented by Lighthouse Social Enterprise went beyond asking how to attract more views. We invited the teams to consider:

How can we turn young people’s interest and engagement online into meaningful action to access HIV/STI services, while reducing HIV stigma, protecting privacy, and developing solutions that community-based organizations can implement with limited resources?

This challenge has several layers. A solution must be accessible to young people while also earning their trust. It should make use of technology while recognizing the importance of human support when someone needs to be heard and guided. Above all, it must fit the realities of community organizations, where staff time and resources are often limited.

Nine Teams, Multiple Perspectives on One Challenge

The HPAIR 2026 Impact Challenge brought together nine teams whose members came from different countries across Asia. Each team approached the problem from a different angle. Some began with technology, while others focused on communication, service design, or user behavior. Other proposals emphasized peer navigation, data privacy, and long-term sustainability.

These varied perspectives pushed the discussion beyond the idea of a single app or communication campaign. Teams had to consider the user’s entire journey: where they encounter information, what might make them hesitate, how they would prefer to receive support, and what would help them reach an appropriate service.

After developing their ideas, four finalist teams were selected to present and defend their proposals at Pitching Day. This was when their ideas faced some of the most practical questions about implementation.

What Does a Practical Solution Need to Address?

What Lighthouse Social Enterprise valued in the final presentations was not creativity alone. Teams also had to explain how their solutions would work when faced with the barriers that regularly arise in community health work.

Would the solution actually reduce the barrier of stigma? If users fear being identified or judged, a process that looks convenient on paper may still discourage them from seeking support.

Would young people trust and use it? A feature only has value if it responds to users’ needs, habits, and concerns.

How would privacy be protected? When information relates to HIV or STIs, users need to understand what data they are sharing, who can access it, and how much control they retain.

Could a community-based organization implement and sustain it? A proposal needs to account for existing workflows, staffing, and resources, rather than working well only in a presentation.

Finally, how would we know whether it made a difference? Views, clicks, and interactions can indicate interest. But to assess a solution designed to improve access to HIV/STI services, we must also look at whether users receive support and complete the services they need.

SafeStep Receives the Lighthouse Best Solution Award

Lighthouse Social Enterprise was especially pleased to present the Lighthouse Best Solution Award to Team SafeStep. Its proposal showed how technology and human support could work together throughout a person’s journey to care.

SafeStep designed a smart application that can be used offline, with a three-stage support journey. First, users can explore information privately. When they feel ready, they can choose to connect with a peer supporter for guidance. Finally, they can be connected directly to existing services, with someone accompanying them through the process.

This approach gives users room to learn at their own pace before deciding on the next step. It also recognizes the value of a conversation with a peer supporter, who can help address questions and make the path to care feel more manageable.

Another strength of SafeStep’s proposal is that privacy is built into the system’s design. Data is shared selectively, and the technology does not make diagnoses in place of a person. The team also proposed measuring success by whether users complete services, rather than relying only on app views or interactions.

During Pitching Day, SafeStep worked quickly to present a visual demonstration of the application they had set up. That effort showed the team’s commitment to moving beyond a concept on paper toward something tangible that others could examine, discuss, and continue to develop.

Other Ideas Open New Paths to HIV/STI Services

SafeStep was not the only finalist to offer a compelling perspective. The other teams proposed ideas ranging from an anonymous referral system on Zalo and flexible testing pathways to models combining digital engagement, peer support, and community services.

Each approach raised a different question about the user experience. How can someone start a conversation while maintaining their privacy? How can testing pathways better fit different circumstances? And how can digital support lead to a specific service available in the community?

There is no single answer to these questions. Part of the value of the HPAIR 2026 Impact Challenge was creating space for different approaches to be presented, tested through discussion, and developed further.

From Youth-Led Ideas to Community Applications

For Lighthouse Social Enterprise, the greatest value of this partnership extends beyond selecting a winning team. The challenge gave young people from different backgrounds an opportunity to examine a real public health issue, question their initial assumptions, and design solutions with both users and implementing organizations in mind.

A creative idea can be a strong starting point. For that idea to make an impact, it must also address user trust, data protection, the role of human support, and the practical limits of working with scarce resources. Discussions throughout the Impact Challenge brought these considerations to the center of the design process.

Lighthouse Social Enterprise extends its sincere thanks to HPAIR, VinUniversity, the judging panel, and the organizing team. Most of all, we thank every participating team for the energy, creativity, and openness to learning they brought to the challenge. We value the ideas they shared and the conversations that broadened our thinking about how to help young people access HIV/STI services safely, privately, and in ways that meet their needs.