UNICEF raises alarm over rising HIV infections among young women, girls

• Women, girls lack access to prevention, treatment, warns report.
• Children under 14 account for 12% of AIDS-related deaths in 2023.
• The report says about 1.3 million people contracted the disease last year.

The United Nations children’s fund sounded the alarm on Friday about the high rate of new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections among young women and girls, warning that they lack access to prevention and treatment.

In a report ahead of World Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Day, the United Nations International Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said that 96,000 girls and 41,000 boys aged 15-19 years were newly infected with HIV in 2023, i.e. seven out of 10 new teenage infections were among girls.

In sub-Saharan Africa, nine out of 10 new HIV infections among 15-19 year olds were among girls in the most recent period for which data are available.

“Children and adolescents are not reaping the full benefits of scaled-up access to treatment and prevention services,” said UNICEF Deputy Director for HIV/AIDS, Anurita Bains.

“While children living with HIV must be prioritized when it comes to investing resources and efforts to scale up treatment for all, this includes expanding innovative testing technologies.”

77% of adults living with HIV have access to antiretroviral therapy, but only 57% of children aged 14 and under and 65% of adolescents aged 15-19 can receive life-saving drugs.

Children aged 14 and under represent only 3% of people living with HIV, but account for 12% – 76,000 – of AIDS-related deaths in 2023.

About 1.3 million people will be infected with the disease in 2023, according to a report by the UNAIDS agency.

This is still more than three times higher than is needed to meet the UN goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

About 630,000 people died of AIDS-related illnesses last year, the lowest level since a peak of 2.1 million in 2004, the report said ahead of World AIDS Day on Sunday.

Much of the progress has been attributed to antiretroviral treatments that can reduce the amount of virus in patients’ blood.

Of the nearly 40 million people living with HIV worldwide, about 9.3 million are not receiving treatment, the report warned.