According to the World Health Organization, 160,000 children will be infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus by 2021.
According to WHO, a child dies from AIDS-related causes worldwide every five minutes.
According to a press release by the global health organization, 12 African countries have committed to ending AIDS in children by 2030.
According to the statement, “every five minutes, a child dies from AIDS-related causes around the world.”
It explained that only half (52%) of children living with HIV are receiving life-saving treatment, far behind adults, who receive antiretrovirals in three-quarters (76%) of cases.
It stated that Nigeria, Angola, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, the United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe had joined the alliance to ensure that the 2030 target is met.
The WHO’s Director-General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, assured that the organization is committed to leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that children in need of HIV treatment are not left behind in the fight to end the disease among children.
Dr. Ghebreyesus stated that in the over 40 years since the outbreak of AIDS, WHO has made significant progress in preventing infections among children and increasing access to treatment, but that progress has stalled.
