In the world today, 3 million children and adolescents were living with HIV in 2017 out of which nearly 9 in ten live in sub-Saharan Africa.
South Africa and Nigeria have the highest number of HIV cases in Africa and across the world. A new report by UNICEF showed the number of children infected with HIV in both countries is on track to hit the 1 million mark.
UNICEF noted that while the world has made significant strides over the past decade toward ending AIDS by 2030 for children, UNICEF’s new HIV projections show that both adolescent boys and girls are still at grave risk.
“The report Children, HIV and AIDS: The world in 2030 reveals both good and bad news for younger children and adolescents.”
By 2030, the number of new HIV infections among children in the first decade of life will be cut in half, while new infections among adolescents aged 10 to 19 years old will only decrease by 29 per cent.
For World AIDS Day 2018, UNICEF is releasing global and regional snapshots of the world today and a new analysis of the situation for younger children and adolescents projected to 2030.
The world today
- 3 million children and adolescents are currently living with HIV.
- 430,000 children and adolescents became newly infected with the virus in 2017.
- 130,000 children and adolescents died from AIDS-related causes in 2017.
In 2030
- 1.9 million children and adolescents are living with HIV.
- The number of new HIV infections among adolescents aged 10-19 years has decreased by 44% in Eastern and Southern Africa – but only by 15% in West and Central Africa.
“We also know that 2 million HIV infections could be averted between 2018 and 2030 if the Global Goals are met – 1.5 million of these would be averted among adolescents aged 10-19 years,” UNICEF predicted.