360,000 Adolescents May Die Of AIDS By 2030, Says UNICEF

'Dotun Akintomide
Writer

Ad

2027: Why Jonathan ‘ll Contest Against Tinubu, Ex-Minister Jerry Gana Opens up

By Abiola Olawale A veteran Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and a former Minister of Information and Orientation, Prof. Jerry Gana, has revealed that former President Goodluck Jonathan will contest against President Bola Tinubu in the forthcoming 2027 presidential election. Gana declared that Jonathan has the ambition to run for the nation's top job again.…

2027: Jonathan's likely Presidential Bid gets PDP’s S'South Support as Rivers Kick, Split

FG Slams US Comedian, Denies Claims of Genocide Against Christians in Nigeria

By Abiola Olawale The Federal Government of Nigeria (FG) has denied allegations of a systematic genocide against Christians in the country. This is as the government criticised US comedian and political commentator Bill Maher for amplifying what it described as "false and divisive" narratives. The controversy erupted after Maher claimed that: "I'm not a Christian,…

Dangote Vs PENGASSAN: FG Intervenes, Moves To Broker Truce

By Abiola Olawale The Federal Government has sent an invitation to the officials of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and Dangote Refinery for an emergency meeting. It was gathered that the meeting is aimed at averting what has been described as a nationwide industrial crisis. This comes as PENGASSAN…

Ad

Some 360,000 adolescents are expected to die of AIDS by 2030 if investment in HIV prevention is not ramped up, according to a UNICEF report released on Thursday.

The figures show the world is “off track’’ in its goal to end AIDS among children by 2030, UNICEF’s executive director, Henrietta Fore, said.

Projections show there will be a decline in the number of children and young people infected with HIV and dying from AIDS-related causes.

But the UN children’s fund warned progress is notably slower among adolescents – defined by the UN as those between ages 10 and 19.

For example, AIDS-related deaths are projected to decrease by 57 per cent among children below the age of 14 by 2030, compared with 35 per cent among those aged 15 to 19 years.

“Programmes to prevent HIV transmission from mothers to babies are paying off but haven’t gone far enough.

“Programmes to treat the virus and prevent it from spreading among older children are nowhere near where they should be,’’ Ms Fore said.

The report blames slow progress in preventing HIV among young children, along with a failure to address structural and behavioural drivers of the epidemic.

For example, many young people do not know they have HIV, and those who do often fail to stick to their treatment plans.

UNICEF is pushing for more family-centred testing and diagnostic technologies, as well as targeted outreach programmes and a greater use of digital platforms to improve knowledge of HIV among adolescents.

Ad

Unlocking Opportunities in the Gulf of Guinea during UNGA80
X whatsapp