UNAIDS, UNICEF, WHO: new global alliance to end AIDS in children by 2030
The 24th International AIDS Conference (29 July - 2 August 2022), held in Montréal, Canada, witnessed the formation of a new global alliance to prevent new HIV infections and ensure that all HIV-positive children have access to life-saving treatment by 2030.
Comprising UN agencies (UNAIDS, UNICEF, WHO), civil society groups, governments and international partners, the alliance aims to address the significant disparity in care between HIV-infected children and adults. Indeed, while more than three quarters of HIV-infected adults receive some form of treatment, only 52% of children receive care.
The new alliance identifies the following points as the pillars of collective action:
- Closing the treatment gap among adolescent girls and women breastfeeding and living with HIV and optimising continuity of treatment.
- Prevent and detect new HIV infections among pregnant and lactating adolescent girls and women.
- Promote accessible testing, optimised treatment and comprehensive care for HIV-exposed and HIV-infected infants, children and adolescents.
- Address gender equality and the social and structural barriers to accessing services.
UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima says that “by bringing together new improved medicines, new political commitment, and the determined activism of communities, we can be the generation who end AIDS in children. We can win this – but we can only win together.”.
According to UNAIDS, only through collaboration at all levels of society it is possible to create holistic solutions to effectively prevent the further transmission of HIV.
The new alliance aims to stimulate innovation and refine the technical excellence needed to solve this urgent problem.