Seventy percent of young people aged 15 to 19 infected with HIV in 2023 were girls, a rate that reaches 90% in sub-Saharan Africa and could undermine recent progress in the fight against the disease, UNICEF said on Friday.
While the number of children and adolescents infected with HIV has been declining globally over the past decade, adolescent girls still struggle to access adequate prevention and support services, the United Nations children's agency emphasized.
As a result, they remain disproportionately affected compared to boys, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Without urgent corrective action, recent gains in the fight against AIDS could be undone, the organization warned ahead of World AIDS Day on December 1.
Globally, 96,000 girls and 41,000 boys aged 15 to 19 contracted HIV in 2023, according to UNICEF.
In total, there were 250,000 new HIV infections in the 0-to-19 age group in 2023, bringing the total number of children and adolescents living with the disease worldwide to 2.4 million.
"Many countries have made significant progress toward eradicating AIDS," said Anurita Bains, UNICEF's Associate Director for HIV/AIDS.
"Yet children and adolescents are not fully benefiting from improved access to medicines and prevention services," she noted.
"Priority must be given to children living with HIV by investing in resources and efforts to improve treatments for all, including advancing innovative testing technologies," she added.
While 77% of adults living with HIV have access to antiretroviral therapy, only 57% of children aged 0 to 14 and 65% of adolescents aged 15 to 19 receive such treatment, UNICEF reported.
Last year, more than 90,000 children and adolescents died from AIDS-related illnesses, 73% of whom were under the age of 10.
Children aged 0 to 14 account for just 3% of people living with HIV, yet they represented 12% of AIDS-related deaths in 2023.
With AFP
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