A data released by UNICEF has revealed that about half of those living with HIV in Africa can be found in just six countries: South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, India, Mozambique and Tanzania.
According to the data, the number of adolescent deaths from AIDS has tripled over the last 15 years, noting that, there are 26 new infections occur every hour.....
AIDS is the number one cause of death among adolescents in Africa and the second leading cause of death among adolescents globally. Among HIV-affected populations, adolescents are the only group for which the mortality figures are not decreasing.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the highest prevalence, girls are vastly more affected, accounting for 7 in 10 new infections among 15-19 year olds.
However, among adolescents in that age group in the region, just over 1 in 10 are tested for HIV.
According to the data in UNICEF’s Statistical Update on Children, Adolescents and AIDS, less than half of children under 2 months old are tested for HIV. Only 1 in 3 of the 2.6 million children under the age of 15 living with HIV are on treatment.
The new data states that most adolescents who die of AIDS-related illnesses acquired HIV when they were infants, 10 to 15 years ago, when fewer pregnant women and mothers living with HIV received antiretroviral medicines to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child. These children have survived into their teenage years, sometimes without knowing their HIV status.
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