ASHENEWS reports that a new report from the Global Alliance for Ending AIDS in Children by 2030 highlights the urgent need to scale up HIV services in the hardest-hit countries to meet the 2030 goal. This is despite progress in reducing HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths among children.
According to the report titled, “Transforming Vision Into Reality,” programs targeting vertical transmission of HIV have prevented four million infections among children aged 0-14 since 2000. New HIV infections in this age group have declined by 38% since 2015, and AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 43%.
Several Global Alliance countries have achieved high coverage of lifelong antiretroviral therapy among pregnant and breastfeeding women with HIV, with Uganda nearing 100%, Tanzania at 98%, and South Africa at 97%. Mozambique and Zambia have 90% coverage, while Angola and Kenya have 89%, Zimbabwe 88%, and Côte d’Ivoire 84%.
UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima praised the progress but emphasized the need for immediate action to ensure all children have access to HIV prevention and treatment. “We cannot rest on our laurels. The death of any child from AIDS-related causes is a tragedy and an outrage,” she said.
Despite advances, neither the world nor the Global Alliance countries are on track to meet HIV-related commitments for children and adolescents. The pace of progress in preventing new infections and deaths has slowed.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, stressed the moral obligation to accelerate HIV services for children and adolescents. “While we have made progress in increasing access for pregnant women, we are still far from closing the paediatric treatment gap,” he noted.
ALSO READ Global AIDS conference opens in MunichIn 2023, around 120,000 children aged 0-14 were infected with HIV, with 77,000 of these new infections occurring in Global Alliance countries. AIDS-related deaths in this age group totaled 76,000 globally, with 49,000 in these countries.
Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, called for better efforts for children. “Our investments in laboratory systems are helping ensure exposed infants are rapidly tested and initiated on age-appropriate antiretroviral treatment,” he said.
The treatment gap between adults and children is widening, with only 57% of children living with HIV receiving treatment compared to 77% of adults. UNICEF Associate Director Anurita Bains stressed the need to support governments in scaling up innovative testing and treatment approaches for children.
In 2023, there were 210,000 new infections globally among young women and girls aged 15-24, four times higher than the 2025 goal. Preventing new infections in this age group is crucial to reducing the risk of new infections among children.
Gender inequalities and human rights violations increase women’s vulnerability to HIV and limit their access to essential services. In four Global Alliance countries, data shows that they are not on track to meet the 2025 target of reducing gender-based violence and inequalities.
Ambassador John N. Nkengasong, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, emphasized the importance of stakeholder collaboration to save children’s lives and close gaps in the pediatric HIV response.
The Global Alliance for Ending AIDS in Children by 2030, launched in 2022, includes WHO, UNICEF, national governments, and international partners. Its 12 member countries are Angola, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, DRC, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
