Monday, February 17, 2025
Health

Rising HIV infections among girls

UNICEF Report Highlights Rising HIV Infections Among Adolescent Girls and Children

A recent global snapshot from UNICEF reveals a disproportionate burden of HIV on adolescent girls and children in specific regions. Factors contributing to this trend include maternal transmission, insufficient access to treatment, and challenges in testing and diagnosis. Although overall global HIV incidence has decreased, the crisis persists for young girls. In 2022, 99,000 adolescent girls and children died from AIDS-related causes. Eastern and Southern Africa, West and Central Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and South Asia are the most affected regions.

In affected areas, children face limited access to age-appropriate HIV treatment, contributing to higher mortality rates. Reasons behind the rising HIV infections among young girls involve complex interrelated factors such as early sexual activity, intergenerational relationships, socioeconomic vulnerability, and gender-related power imbalances. The lack of standardized testing and diagnostic hurdles hinder efforts to address the crisis, with only 57% of those aged 0–14 receiving retroviral treatment.

Experts emphasize the heightened vulnerability of young women, citing factors like intimate partner violence and older partners with longer HIV exposure. Educational barriers, stigma, and poor access to sex education also contribute to the vulnerability. While challenges persist, decentralized treatment distribution and virtual service delivery show promise. Additionally, the integrase inhibitor dolutegravir presents a hopeful development, demonstrating efficacy in trials for infants as young as 4 weeks old. Treatment remains crucial for both individual care and preventing transmission, emphasizing the importance of access to HIV care and education.

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