Geneva, A new global HIV report released today by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNAIDS, and UNICEF has revealed alarming statistics, underscoring the severe threat HIV continues to pose to children and adolescents worldwide. According to the data, more than 2.42 million children and adolescents aged 0–19 were living with HIV at the end of 2024, with over 712 children newly infected and 250 dying from AIDS-related causes every single day.
The report, titled “Childhoods at Risk,” highlights the urgent need for renewed focus on pediatric HIV prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. While progress has been made in adult care, the gap in treatment for children is widening. Only 57% of children aged 0–14 living with HIV were receiving life-saving antiretroviral therapy (ART) by the end of 2024, compared to 77% of adults. This leaves hundreds of thousands of children vulnerable to rapid health decline and death.
Sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear the brunt of the crisis. The region accounted for 61% of the total 630,000 AIDS-related deaths in 2024. Among them, adolescent girls and young women are the most affected, with 210,000 new HIV infections reported in 2024 — equivalent to 570 new infections per day. Gender-based disparities, lack of access to healthcare, and social inequalities are driving the epidemic among young females.
The report also warns that the situation could become even more severe due to a significant global funding shortfall. Leading researchers from the University of Oxford estimate that if major HIV programs such as PEPFAR (the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) are scaled back, an additional one million children in sub-Saharan Africa could be infected with HIV by 2030. Nearly 500,000 could die, and up to 2.8 million more could be orphaned.
Projections published in The Lancet HIV further show that if funding continues to decline, the world could face 2.9 million more HIV-related deaths and 10.8 million new infections by 2030. Aid cuts from wealthy nations, particularly those affecting maternal and child health programs, are contributing to the decline in HIV testing, treatment availability, and prevention tools.
Despite long-standing global commitments, including the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the pace of progress has stalled for children. The WHO emphasized that pediatric HIV is both preventable and treatable, yet continues to kill children at disproportionately high rates. Children make up only 3% of people living with HIV but account for 12% of AIDS-related deaths.
Without proper treatment, half of all infants born with HIV die before their second birthday, and 80% will not live to see their fifth birthday. Experts point out that lack of access to early diagnosis is a key challenge. HIV testing in newborns and children remains limited in many countries, especially in rural and low-income regions.
UNICEF has reiterated the importance of closing this treatment gap. The agency has called for the urgent scale-up of programs that eliminate mother-to-child transmission, expand access to child-friendly medicines, and invest in adolescent health services. Without such efforts, millions of young lives remain at risk.
Dr. Anurita Bains, UNICEF’s Associate Director for HIV/AIDS, said, “The world knows how to prevent and treat HIV in children — but current investment levels simply do not match the scale of the crisis. This is a political and moral failure.”
The report also urges governments and donors to commit to the “triple elimination” of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B in mothers and children. Such integration of services, experts say, can help reach more families, reduce stigma, and improve long-term health outcomes.
With the deadline for ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 fast approaching, the global community faces a crucial test. Health officials warn that without bold action, the youngest and most vulnerable will continue to be left behind in the HIV response.
As the world responds to other health priorities and funding reallocations, advocates are stressing that HIV in children cannot become an invisible crisis. “This is not just a health issue,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “It is about justice, equality, and the basic right of every child to live a healthy life.”
The findings of the report have sparked renewed calls for international solidarity, sustainable funding, and the prioritization of pediatric HIV in national health strategies. The lives of millions of children depend on how the world responds in the next five years.
