The Cost of Inaction on HIV for Children
Their future is on the line
About
This report, The Cost of Inaction on HIV for Children, produced by UNAIDS, UNICEF and Avenir Health, shows that the significant progress for children affected by HIV over the past two decades are at risk. The analysis models the potential impact of declining resources for HIV programmes and quantifies what reduced intervention coverage could mean for children’s lives in the years ahead. The findings are stark: if programme coverage falls by half, an additional 1.1 million children could acquire HIV, and 820,000 more could die of AIDS-related causes by 2040 – pushing the total toll among children to three million infections and 1.8 million AIDS-related deaths, with the vast majority in sub-Saharan Africa.
The report underscores that investments to prevent HIV transmission and reduce AIDS-related deaths in children enormous benefits for children, families and societies. But sudden external funding cuts that began in 2025 have already begun to undermine intervention coverage and affect children’s health and well-being. Safeguarding the gains and making progress will require renewed global commitment, strengthened and sustainable domestic and external financing, community support and responsible transition planning. Children deserve nothing less.
