About us

Children and AIDS is the online information portal and community for the HIV/AIDS programme of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Through technical support, education, advocacy and a range of other efforts, UNICEF seeks to ensure that all infants, children, adolescents and their mothers can access life-saving HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. UNICEF engages country-level partners around the world to make HIV services as widely available as possible, including in remote areas, in fragile states and among marginalized populations.

Today, the majority of pregnant women living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries are receiving treatment to remain healthy and prevent HIV transmission to their babies. In 2023, 84 per cent of pregnant women living with HIV were on ART for PMTCT. This represents impressive progress, considering that only 1 per cent received treatment in 2005.

Yet, globally, 1.4 million children (0-14) and 3.1 million young people (15-24) were living with HIV in 2023. Many children and adolescents living with HIV do not know their status. Diagnosis is especially critical for children, as HIV advances to AIDS very quickly in infancy. Early diagnosis in the first weeks of life and immediate initiation of treatment can make the difference between life and death. UNICEF has prioritized the diagnosis of young children in order to eliminate the gaps in paediatric treatment. But UNICEF's work does not stop there. Regular health services must be more proactive in finding cases and linking children and adolescents to treatment that is accessible and care that is comprehensive. Prevention efforts must be strengthened to ensure that children remain HIV-free into adolescence.