Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

Despite significant progress over the last decade, HIV remains a considerable global challenge. Children across the globe continue to suffer a disproportionate burden of HIV morbidity and mortality. In 2017, children under 15 years of age accounted for 6% of the total people living with HIV globally and 11% of total AIDS-related deaths. In 2015, AIDS was the fourth most frequent cause of death among girls aged 10-14 years globally, and the fourth most common cause of death among all 10-19 year-olds in African low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Children and adolescents continue to be underserved by services across the HIV treatment cascade. Of the 2.1 million children aged under 15 years living with HIV, only 43% have access to ART, compared to 54% of adults aged 15 years and over. Despite improvements in paediatric treatment options, children aged under 15 years continue to have lower viral suppression rates compared to adults aged 15 years and above. Similarly, low early infant diagnosis (EID) coverage and linkage to care rates continue to pose significant threats to infant, child and adolescent health and survival. Save the Children works across the globe to support expanded access to comprehensive HIV prevention, care, treatment and support services for children, women and families affected by HIV, focusing on countries with a high burden of disease and/or low coverage. SC works in close partnership with governments, local organizations, communities and other stakeholders, developing and implementing sustainable, replicable, facility- and community-based approaches that can be taken to scale. It’s HIV & TB Strategy for 2017-20 focus on four programmatic priorities; Eliminate pediatric HIV infection through promoting the Global strategy for ending AIDS and by implementing the prevention of mother-to child transmission of HIV (E/PMTCT) services to pregnant women and babies; Identify all HIV infected children and provide treatment, care, and support services to infected and affected children; Provide comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services to adolescents, focusing on HIV positive adolescents, adolescent girls and young women, and key populations (MSM, transgender, FSW/MSW, and PWID); and Eliminate and treat TB among children and adolescents.