Aids is the number one cause of death among teenagers in Africa, the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) said on Friday.
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According to UNAIDS, “with 36.9 million people living with HIV/AIDS today, more than 2 million new HIV infections, and about 1.5 million AIDS related deaths in 2014, HIV/AIDS still poses a serious threat to communities all over the world”. Initiatives are thus needed to promote the benefits of early testing for HIV and facilitate access to testing for people who think they may be infected with HIV. Almost 2 million adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 are living with AIDS, UNICEF said.
Preventing HIV transmission and addressing the challenges of living with AIDS are some of the topics Francis is expected to discuss Saturday with young people in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, on the second leg of his trip to Africa.
UNICEF data shows that in sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the highest prevalence, girls are vastly more affected, accounting for 7 in 10 new infections among 15-19 year olds.
The report from WHO’s Regional Office for Europe and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) attributed the increase primarily to Eastern Europe, where new infections have more than doubled in the past 10 years.
The UN presented this and other disturbing data this week in Johannesburg as part of their global statistical update on AIDS among children.
“This has translated into a 60% reduction in AIDS-related deaths among children under four years of age since 2000”, Unicef said in a statement. The researchers administered 30 patients who were taking the ART treatment that repressed the HIV with Antabuse and saw the effects of the drug immediately.
David Brinkman, CEO and the nonprofit Desert AIDS Project in Palm Springs said for 2016 the focus in HIV treatment will be guaranteeing that everyone knows their status and that everyone who is positive has the treatment they need.
New WHO guidelines say all those infected with HIV should be provided with antiretroviral therapy regardless of their CD4 count – an indicator of how effectively the immune systems of those with the virus are functioning. While these numbers are concerning, Canada’s overall rate of new infections is still lower than the global average.
“In Kenya, the ministry of health and lobby groups are proactively engaging with the high risk groups, but we need to scale up this effort through testing and advocacy to fight stigma”, Njagi said.
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This World AIDS Day is a flawless opportunity for us to think globally and act locally.
