A 9-year-old HIV-positive girl draws at a UNICEF-supported centre in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. 70 percent of new HIV infections worldwide are among girls Health
The past decade has seen a marked decline in new HIV infections among children and adolescents worldwide. However, some teenagers, especially girls, still do not receive the social and health services they need, including preventive care.
Ahead of World AIDS Day, which is celebrated on December 1, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) calls for urgent measures to provide the necessary support to adolescent girls and young women, especially in vulnerable regions, primarily in the countries of Tropical Africa.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, 90 Percent of New HIV Cases Occurred in girls
According to the latest available data, 96,000 girls and 41,000 boys aged 15 to 19 years were newly infected with HIV in 2023 worldwide, meaning 70 per cent of new infections among adolescents were among girls, with the figure rising to 90 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa.
“Many countries have made significant progress in the fight against AIDS,” said Anurita Bains, UNICEF Deputy Director for HIV/AIDS.
“However, children and adolescents are not fully benefiting from expanded access to treatment and prevention services. Children living with HIV must be a priority when investing resources and efforts to scale up treatment for all. This includes expanding the use of innovative testing technologies,” she explained.
More adults are on treatment
In 2023, there were 250,000 new HIV infections among people under 19 years of age, bringing the total number of children and adolescents living with HIV worldwide to 2.4 million.
While 77 per cent of HIV-positive adults are on antiretroviral therapy, only 57 per cent of children under 14 years of age and 65 per cent of adolescents aged 15-19 years have access to it.
More than 90,000 children and adolescents died from AIDS-related causes last year. 73 percent of the deaths were among children under 10 years of age.
“Inspiring Achievements”
Since 2010, new HIV infections in eastern and southern Africa have fallen by 72 per cent among children under 14 years of age and by 57 per cent among adolescents aged 15-19 years since 2010. This is one of the major global public health achievements in decades.
19 countries and territories have been certified as having eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, including 11 in the Americas, including Belize, Jamaica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. In Africa, Botswana and Namibia have been certified as on track for elimination.
“The encouraging progress made in the global fight against HIV has been made possible by global solidarity and respect for human rights,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on World AIDS Day.
HIV remains a major threat
At the same time, UNICEF reminds that despite the decline in overall infection rates in most regions of the world since 2010, in 2023, 74 thousand new HIV cases were registered among children and adolescents aged 15-19 years in East and Southern Africa, 18 thousand in West and Central Africa, 8.9 thousand in South Asia, 5,800 in Eastern Europe and Central Asia – 5.8 thousand, in East Asia and the Pacific region – 16 thousand.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, there has been no significant decline in HIV infection rates among adolescents over the past decade, while in the Middle East and North Africa, new infections among teenagers have increased by 70 percent since 2010.
“We will defeat AIDS, if the rights of everyone are protected”
“Discriminatory laws, policies and practices punish and stigmatize vulnerable people, especially women, girls and minorities, preventing them from accessing proven prevention, testing, treatment and care,” the UN chief noted.
Guterres stressed that the theme and slogan of this year’s World Day is “Choose the right path – the path of human rights.”
“We will defeat AIDS if the rights of everyone are protected. I call on all leaders to heed this year’s theme and take the human rights path,” the Secretary-General concluded.