Paying the Cost of Connection : Global Policy Brief

In 2025, DHRP published ‘Paying the costs of connection: Human rights in the digital age in Colombia, Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam’. The report explores young adults’ experiences and opinions of the digital transformation and how it affects their health and human rights. As it uses a participatory action research approach, it helps fil a gap in current knowledge and practice, as young people are often left out of decision-making and policy discussions that affect their lives.

The project engaged study participants throughout the research process, by establishing Community Advisory Teams (CATs) in each country with a mix of over 100 study participants, health advocates and digital rights groups. Researchers conducted 33 focus-group discussions and 14 in-depth interviews with 302 young adults (aged 18-30) living with HIV or belonging to key populations, such as sex workers and LGBTQ+ people.2 They also spoke to 41 experts including UN and government officials and community leaders. Most participants lived in urban areas, with approximately half living in rural and peri-urban locations, and 44% percent of the FGD participants identified as males, while 32% identified as males; 24 identified as transgender; 5% identified as non-binary.

Our findings highlight four key themes demonstrating that many factors interconnect to shape young adults’ experiences of human rights in the digital age in Colombia, Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam.