About once every minute and 40 seconds, a young person below the age of 20 or a child was infected with HIV in the previous year, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) revealed on Wednesday.
Prevention attempts and treatment for children remain some of the lowest amongst key impacted populations, and in 2019, slightly less than half of the children worldwide did not have access to life-saving treatment, UNICEF stated in a new report.
Almost 3,20,000 adolescents and children were recently infected with HIV and 1,10,000 died of AIDS in the previous year, the Xinhua news organization revealed.
UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said that children are still getting infected at alarming rates, and they are still dying from AIDS. This was even before COVID-19 interrupted vital HIV treatment and prevention services putting many more lives at risk
As indicated by UNICEF, the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened inequalities in access to life-saving HIV services for kids, adolescents and pregnant mothers all over, and there are pressing concerns that one-third of high HIV burden countries could confront COVID-19 related disruptions.
Fore said, “Even as the world struggles in the midst of an ongoing global pandemic, hundreds of thousands of children continue to suffer the ravages of the HIV epidemic.”
Information from the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), referred to in the report, demonstrated the effect of control measures, supply chain disruptions, absence of personal protective gear, and the redeployment of healthcare workers on HIV services.
Paediatric HIV treatment and viral load testing in youngsters in certain countries fell by 50 to 70 per cent, and new treatment initiation by 25 to 50 per cent in April and May, coinciding with partial and complete lockdowns to control the novel COVID-19.
Health facility deliveries and maternal treatment were additionally reported to have diminished by 20 to 60 per cent, maternal HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy (ART) commencement by 25 to 50 per cent, and infant testing services by roughly 10%.
Though the easing of control measures and the strategic focusing of kids and pregnant mothers have effectively prompted a rebound of services lately, challenges persist, and the world is still a long way from accomplishing the worldwide 2020 paediatric HIV targets, said UNICEF.
In spite of some advancement in the long term battle against HIV and AIDS, deep regional disparities remain among all populaces, particularly for children.
with IANSinputs
