Adolescent girls disproportionately affected by HIV

70% of those infected with the AIDS virus between the ages of 15 and 19 in 2023 were girls.
That rate rises to 90% in sub-Saharan Africa and could threaten recent gains in the fight against the disease, UNICEF said.
Although the number of children and adolescents infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been declining globally for a decade, adolescent girls still have difficulty accessing adequate prevention and support measures, the UN children's agency said, as quoted by AFP.
Girls continue to be proportionately much more affected than boys, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, and without urgent remedial action the progress made in recent years in the fight against AIDS could prove futile, the organisation warns ahead of World AIDS Day, which is marked on 1 December.
Globally, 96,000 girls and 41,000 boys aged between 15 and 19 were infected with AIDS in 2023.
In 2023, there were 250 000 new HIV infections in the 0-19 age group, bringing the number of children and adolescents affected by the disease globally to 2.4 million.
"Many countries have made tremendous progress in eradicating AIDS," noted Anurita Baines, UNICEF's Deputy Director for HIV/AIDS.
"However, 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 when it comes to investing in resources and efforts to improve treatment for all, including the development of innovative testing technologies," she added.
While 77% of adults with HIV have access to antiretroviral therapy, only 57% of children aged 0-14 and 65% of adolescents aged 15-19 have such access, according to UNICEF.
Last year, more than 90,000 children and adolescents died from AIDS-related illnesses, 73% of them under the age of 10.
In 2023, children aged 0-14 accounted for only 3% of people with AIDS but 12% of HIV-related deaths. | BGNES