UNICEF has called on governments, including Uganda, to come up with interventions that help protect girls following a sharp rise in infections among the group. 

Cumbersome diagnostic processes for children; specific testing requirements for infants that are not always available in middle- and lower-income countries; and a lack of age-appropriate antiretroviral medication for younger age groups are among some of the issues the body wants the governments to address. 

It said as a result of the challenges, just 57 per cent of children aged 0–14 years are receiving antiretroviral treatment, compared to 77 per cent of people aged 15 and above. 

It added that nearly 98,000 adolescent girls aged 10-19 were infected with HIV in 2022 – or 1,900 new infections every week – according to UNICEF’s latest Global Snapshot on Children with HIV and AIDS, released ahead of World AIDS Day. 

"While total infections among girls aged 10-19 have almost halved since 2010 – from 190,000 to 98,000 – girls were still more than twice as likely to contract HIV last year, than boys," it said. 

HIV infections   

Globally, there were 270,000 new HIV infections among all children and adolescents aged 0-19 in 2022, bringing the total number of young people living with HIV to 2.6 million. 

“It is unacceptable that adolescent girls, who should be planning their futures, continue to bear the heaviest burden of HIV infection,” said UNICEF Associate Director of HIV/AIDS, Anurita Bains.

“We, the UN, communities, governments and organisations – must eradicate the obstacles that make HIV a threat to their health and wellbeing. This includes ensuring the sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescent girls and young women are met.” 

UNICEF wants governments to commit to fighting gender inequalities which often result in girls being disempowered to negotiate safe sex; poverty that manifests in communities located far from healthcare centres; and a lack of access to HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health programmes in sub-Saharan Africa. 

According to the body, HIV prevalence among adolescent girls and young women, aged 10-24 years, is persistently over three times higher than among their male counterparts. 

Eastern, Southern Africa top 

It said Eastern and Southern Africa carry the overwhelming burden of HIV infection, with 137,000 new infections among the 0-19 age group in 2022, followed by West and Central Africa (66,000 new infections among 0-19), East Asia and the Pacific (21,600 new infections 0-19), Latin America and the Caribbean (16,300 new infections 0-19) and South Asia (14,400 new infections 0-19).