Fast Facts: World risks reversing HIV progress as children continue to face treatment gap

Overview

On 28 November 2025, UNICEF highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by children and adolescents living with HIV. Despite global advances, many young people still lack timely diagnosis and access to life-saving treatment.

Key Issues

Children and adolescents lag behind in HIV care
Many young individuals are not being diagnosed early enough to benefit from effective treatment, putting them at higher risk of disease progression.
Treatment gap persists
While adults have seen improved access to antiretroviral therapy, children and adolescents remain underserved, maintaining a significant treatment gap.
Risk of reversing progress
Without addressing this gap urgently, worldwide achievements in controlling HIV may be undone, particularly concerning pediatric HIV infections and survival.

UNICEF Statement

UNICEF emphasized:

"Children and adolescents living with HIV are being left behind in access to early diagnosis and life-saving treatment, threatening to reverse decades of progress."

Author’s Summary

The slow progress in diagnosing and treating HIV among children and adolescents threatens to reverse global gains, underscoring an urgent need to close the treatment gap.

Unicef — 2025-11-28

Fast Facts: World risks reversing HIV progress as children continue to face treatment gap

Overview

Key Issues

UNICEF Statement

Author’s Summary

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