African leaders unite to pledge to end AIDS in children

Ministers and representatives of 12 African countries have committed to ending AIDS among children by 2030 and have made plans to do so.of Global Alliance to End Childhood AIDS.

The conference, hosted by the United Republic of Tanzania, is a step towards ensuring that every HIV-infected child has access to life-saving treatment and that HIV-infected mothers have HIV-free babies. is a step forward. The Alliance will work to accelerate progress over the next seven years to ensure we reach our 2030 goals.

Currently, one child dies from AIDS-related causes every five minutes worldwide.

Only half (52%) of children living with HIV receive life-saving treatment, and three-quarters (76%) of them lag far behind adults on antiretroviral drugs.

In 2021, 160,000 children will be newly infected with HIV. Despite the fact that only 4% of her HIV-positive people are children, children account for her 15% of all her AIDS-related deaths.

Ministers have worked with networks of people living with HIV and community leaders to develop an action plan to find, test and connect more pregnant women to care. The plan also includes the detection and care of infants and children living with HIV.

of dar es salaam declaration Ending AIDS in children was unanimously approved.

Philip Mpango, Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania, said: We all need to do our part to end AIDS in our children. The Global Alliance is on the right track and we must not be satisfied with the status quo. 2030 is just around the corner. ”

Namibian First Lady Monica Geingos agreed. “This group of leaders is united by a solemn vow and a clear plan of action to end AIDS for children once and for all,” she said. “Nothing is higher priority than this.”

In the first phase, 12 countries with high HIV prevalence joined the alliance. Angola, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

This work will focus on four pillars:

1. Early diagnosis and optimal treatment and care of infants, children and adolescents.

2. Close the treatment gap for women living with HIV during pregnancy and lactation to eliminate vertical transmission.

3. Prevent new HIV infections among pregnant and lactating adolescent girls and women.When

4. Address social and structural barriers to rights, gender equality and access to services.

UNICEF He welcomed the leaders’ commitment and promised their support. “Every child has the right to a healthy and hopeful future, but that future is threatened for more than half of children living with HIV,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anulita Baines. said. “We must not allow children to continue to be left behind in the global response to HIV and AIDS. Governments and partners can count on UNICEF to be there every step of the way. This includes work to integrate HIV services into primary health care and to strengthen the capacity of local health systems.”

“This conference gave me hope. UNAIDS“The inequalities that break my heart are for children living with HIV, and today’s leaders are demonstrating a commitment to the decisive action needed to put it right.” As such, today’s science does not require that a baby be born with HIV, become infected while breastfeeding, or that a child living with HIV need not go untreated. We have made it clear that we are closing the treatment gap for children to save lives.”

WHO Leave no child in need of HIV treatment and start a commitment to health for all. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “More than 40 years after AIDS first emerged, we have come a long way in preventing infection and increasing access to treatment for children, but progress has been made. “The Global Alliance to End AIDS in Children is a much-needed initiative to revitalize progress. We are committed to supporting countries with technical leadership and policy implementation to realize our shared vision of ending WWII.”

Peter Sands, Executive Director global fund “By 2023, no child will be born with HIV or die from an AIDS-related illness. Let’s work together to ensure that HIV is implemented in 2020. We know that when the communities most affected by HIV take the lead, we can achieve remarkable results.”

PefferJohn Nkengason, US Global AIDS Coordinator, said he was confident. “Bridging the gap for children requires focus and a firm commitment that we hold ourselves, governments and all partners accountable for the outcome. Commit to raising the agenda for children with AIDS to the highest political level in the country, and across the country, to social issues that hinder rights, gender equality, and access to prevention and treatment services for children and their families. and mobilize the necessary support to address structural barriers.”

EGPAF President and CEO Chip Lyons said that if the shared plan is put into action, no child will be left behind. Children’s services will be removed when the challenges of the world stand in their way.Today, African leaders endorsed a detailed plan to end AIDS in children.Now is the time for all of us to help children. It’s time to speak up and make it a priority for participation in the HIV response.”

Delegates stressed the importance of an evidence-based approach involving local, national and regional stakeholders and a range of partners to take ownership of the initiative.

“We have helped form a global alliance and ensured that human rights, community engagement and gender equality are the pillars of the alliance,” said the executive director of the International Women’s Community Living with HIV in East Africa. Lillian Mwoleko, Principal, said: ICW, Y+ global and GNP+. “We believe a women-led response is key to ending AIDS in children.”

Alliance Africa reach and other diverse partners, all countries are welcome to join.

It is possible to proceed. 16 countries and regions have already been certified. Validation of eliminating vertical transmission of HIV and/or syphilis; HIV and other infections can be passed from mother to child during pregnancy or breastfeeding, but such transmission is limited by prompt HIV treatment for HIV-positive pregnant women, can be interrupted by pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against .

Last year, Botswana became the first African country with high HIV prevalence to be verified as on track to eliminate vertical transmission of HIV. This means fewer than 500 of her babies were newly infected with HIV for every 100,000 births in the country. The country’s vertical transmission rate was 2% compared to her 10% a decade ago.

UNAIDS, People Living with HIV Network, UNICEF and WHO, together with technology partners PEPFAR and the Global Fund, Global Alliance to End Childhood AIDS At the AIDS conference in Montreal, Canada, July 2022. Now, African leaders have revealed at their first ministerial meeting how the alliance will deliver on her promise to end AIDS in children by 2030.