African leaders unite in pledge to end AIDS in children
DAR ES SALAAM, 1 February 2023—Ministers and representatives from twelve African countries have committed themselves, and laid out their plans, to end AIDS in children by 2030. International partners have set out how they would support countries in delivering on those plans, which were issued at the first ministerial meeting of the Global Alliance to end AIDS in children.
The meeting hosted by the United Republic of Tanzania, marks a step up in action to ensure that all children with HIV have access to life saving treatment and that mothers living with HIV have babies free from HIV. The Alliance will work to drive progress over the next seven years, to ensure that the 2030 target is met.
New global alliance launched to end AIDS in children by 2030
MONTREAL/GENEVA/NEW YORK, 1 August 2022 – Globally, only half (52%) of children living with HIV are on life-saving treatment, far behind adults where three quarters (76%) are receiving antiretrovirals, according to the data that has just been released in the UNAIDS Global AIDS Update 2022. Concerned by the stalling of progress for children, and the widening gap between children and adults, UNAIDS, UNICEF, WHO and partners have brought together a global alliance to ensure that no child living with HIV is denied treatment by the end of the decade and to prevent new infant HIV infections.
It is time to end AIDS in children once and for all
MONTREAL, 30 July 2022: — More than two decades ago at the 13th International AIDS Conference (IAS) in Durban, Nkosi Johnson from South Africa stood up as the first child to speak publicly about HIV.
”Hello, my name is Nkosi Johnson, I am 11 years old and I have full-blown AIDS,” he said in front of a packed auditorium. “I get very sad when I think of all the other children and babies that are sick with AIDS. I just wish that the government could start giving HIV treatment to pregnant HIV+ mothers to help stop the virus being passed on to their babies.”
Since Nkosi’s call for help in 2000, remarkable progress has been made. In a decade, coverage of HIV treatment to prevent vertical transmission for pregnant women living with HIV has increased to 85% from 45% and there has been a 53% reduction in new child HIV infections.
New Allies Tackle Scourge of AIDS in Kids
MONTREAL, 08 February 2022 – Twelve African nations have joined with the United Nations and other international organizations in forming a new alliance that will work to prevent new infant HIV infections and to ensure no child living with HIV is denied treatment by the end of the decade.
Proponents of the new Global Alliance for Ending AIDS in Children by 2030 announced its creation on Tuesday at an International AIDS Conference wrapping up in Montreal, Canada.