UNICEF: HIV Infections in Adolescents Could Double by 2030

New HIV infections among adolescents are projected to rise from 250,000 in 2015 to nearly 400,000 annually by 2030 if progress in reaching adolescents stalls, according to a new report released by UNICEF on Thursday.

    "The world has made tremendous progress in the global effort to end AIDS, but the fight is far from over – especially for children and adolescents," said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake. "Every two minutes, another adolescent most likely a girl will be infected with HIV. If we want to end AIDS, we need to recapture the urgency this issue deserves and redouble our efforts to reach every child and every adolescent." AIDS remains a leading cause of death among adolescents, claiming the lives of 41,000 adolescents aged 10-19 in 2015, according to the 7th Stocktaking Report on Children and AIDS: For Every Child: End AIDS.

    Globally there were nearly 2 million adolescents aged 10 -19 living with HIV in 2015. In sub-Saharan Africa, the region most impacted by HIV, girls accounted for three out of every four new infections among adolescents aged 15-19.

    While adolescent deaths are projected to rise, children aged between 0 and 4 face the highest risk of AIDS-related deaths compared to other age groups, according to UNICEF.

    However, AIDS-related deaths among that age group have fallen by 70% since 2000. The vast majority of new HIV infections among children 85% occurred in sub-Saharan Africa.

    UNICEF says that funding for its AIDS program has declined since 2014, despite progress made in avoiding new infections. The organization recommends early diagnosis, as "knowing one's status is the first step to keeping children and adolescents with HIV alive and healthy." Encouraging adolescents, especially girls, to stay in school is also critical to stave off new infections.

Source: QNA