Sat Nov 30 11:20:00 UTC 2024: ## UNICEF Sounds Alarm on HIV/AIDS in Children and Adolescents

**United Nations, Nov. 30, 2024** – UNICEF issued a stark warning Friday about alarmingly high HIV infection rates among young women and girls, highlighting a critical gap in prevention and treatment access. A new report, released ahead of World AIDS Day on December 1st, reveals that 96,000 girls and 41,000 boys aged 15-19 were newly infected with HIV in 2023 – a staggering seven out of ten adolescent infections occurring in girls. In sub-Saharan Africa, this disparity is even more pronounced, with nine out of ten new infections in this age group affecting girls.

The report further underscores the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on children. While children under 14 constitute only 3% of those living with HIV, they accounted for 12% (76,000) of AIDS-related deaths in 2023. Access to life-saving antiretroviral therapy remains significantly lower for children compared to adults; 77% of adults have access, while only 57% of children under 14 and 65% of teenagers aged 15-19 receive treatment.

A separate UNAIDS report indicates that approximately 1.3 million people contracted HIV in 2023, far exceeding the necessary reduction to meet the UN’s 2030 goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat. Although AIDS-related deaths decreased to 630,000 last year (the lowest since 2004), a significant 9.3 million people globally still lack access to HIV treatment. UNICEF Associate Director of HIV/AIDS, Anurita Bains, stressed the urgent need to prioritize children in resource allocation and expand innovative testing technologies to address this critical health crisis.

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