HIV/AIDS continues to stalk children and adolescents: UNICEF

Durban, South Africa: As the 21st International AIDS Conference gets underway in Durban this week, UNICEF warned that despite remarkable global progress in tackling the HIV/AIDS pandemic, much work remains to be done to protect children and adolescents from infection, sickness and death.

Since 2000, concerted action to prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) in countries with high HIV/AIDS prevalence has brought the transmission rate down by roughly 70 per cent worldwide. This includes sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the greatest burden of HIV/AIDS infections and deaths. Over the last 15 years, PMTCT programmes have prevented some 1.6 million new HIV infections in children, globally, while the provision of anti-retroviral treatment has saved 8.8 million lives (people of all ages). 

But the children’s agency said that adolescents are dying of AIDS at alarming rates.

“After all of the saved and improved lives thanks to prevention, treatment and care; after all of the battles won against prejudice and ignorance about this disease; after all of the wonderful milestones achieved, AIDS is still the number two cause of death for those aged 10-19 globally – and number one in Africa,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake.

The numbers of AIDS-related deaths among adolescents 15-19 years have more than doubled since 2000. Globally in 2015, there were on average 29 new infections an hour among those in this age group. And while rates of new infections among adolescents have levelled off, UNICEF is concerned that projected increases in their population in the coming years will mean an increase in the overall number of infections.

Girls are particularly vulnerable, making up about 65% of new adolescent infections worldwide. In sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for about 70% of people in the world living with HIV, three out of every four adolescents newly infected by HIV in 2015 were girls. 

Yet fear of testing keeps many young people unaware of their status. Among adolescents, only 13% of girls and 9% of boys were tested within the last year. A new poll conducted on U-report, UNICEF’s mobile-based reporting tool, shows that some 68% of 52,000 young people surveyed in 16 countries said they did not want to be tested, both because they were afraid of an HIV-positive result, and because they were worried about social stigma.

Meanwhile, new infections among children due to transmission at birth or during breastfeeding have decreased dramatically since 2000, dropping by 70% in the period. But UNICEF called for stepping up efforts to eliminate the transmission of the virus from mother to child.

Lake, speaking after a visit to the Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in Kwa Zulu Natal province, South Africa, stressed the urgent need for innovation and renewed political will to reach the children still being left behind. In 2015, half of new infections among children (0-14 years), occurred in only six countries: Nigeria, India, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa.

“The undeniable progress we have made in the last three decades does not mean that our struggle is over,” Lake said. “The battle against AIDS will not be over until we redouble prevention and treatment efforts; until we reach those young lives still being denied the progress that millions before them have enjoyed; and until we end the stigma and fear that prevent so many young people from getting tested.”

Almost 5 million workers reached under ILO HIV Initiative

Durban (ILO News): An ILO report issued ahead of the International AIDS Conference in Durban, shows the Organization’s VCT@WORK Initiative reached close to five million workers with face to face education on the benefits of HIV and AIDS testing in its initial phase. 

Following the outreach, between July 2013 and December 2015, almost three million workers were HIV tested; and over 85,000 found HIV positive were referred for treatment. 

The ILO, UNAIDS and partners will be presenting the results of the initiative at several sessions during the AIDS Conference in Durban this week. 

Welcoming the findings, Director-General of the ILO, Guy Ryder said: “For the first time, we have results that clearly demonstrate the impact of a workplace response to HIV and AIDS. When workers have timely knowledge of their HIV status, they can take the right treatment and continue to be healthy and productive members of the workforce.” 

“The workplace offers a unique opportunity to expand HIV testing services,” he added. 

The Initiative, launched by the ILO and UNAIDS at the International Labour Conference in 2013, was implemented in 34 countries through strategic partnerships and alliances formed between the key world of work actors, the private sector, networks of people living with HIV and national AIDS programs. 

“This is the kind of innovation needed to reach people with HIV services in their everyday lives,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “This is the Fast-Track response in action - normalizing testing and ensuring more people know their HIV status and are linked with local care and support.” 

Around 60% of the beneficiaries were men, confirming that workplaces have a huge potential to engage the male population, which is considered more difficult to reach with HIV information, testing, counselling and treatment. 

Furthermore, 62% of those reached with HIV information accessed HIV testing services. The figure demonstrates the efficacy of the communications effort on workplace behaviour change put in place by the ILO and its partners. 

The success of the program was aided by its implementation in workplaces which had a commitment to non-discrimination through HIV and AIDS workplace policy. This approach made workers comfortable that they will not lose their jobs, irrespective of the results; and that they will be receive all possible treatment, care and support in case they are HIV positive. 

A strong communication strategy supported the Initiative and the ILO’s Getting to Zero at Work campaign provided a solid basis for the implementation of the VCT@WORK Initiative. Communicating ‘the benefits of testing early’ helped convince workers to take the HIV test. Similarly, involving business and union leaders as well as celebrities was also found to be very effective. 

As it stands, close to half of the people living with HIV are not aware of their status. 

Building on the program’s initial success, the ILO plans to scale up the VCT@WORK initiative to help accelerate the global AIDS response over the next five years. As such, it will be a significant contribution to the 90-90-90 targets as per the new UNAIDS strategy: 90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy, and 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression, by the year 2021.