This was the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warning on Friday, ahead of World AIDS Day.
The agency says that deepening funding cuts threaten to undo decades of hard-won progress, putting millions of young lives at risk.
New modelling shows that if programme coverage drops by half, a further 1.1 million children could acquire HIV, and an additional 820 000 could die of AIDS-related causes by 2040. This would push the total toll among children to three million infections and 1.8 million deaths.
Even maintaining current service levels will not be enough, UNICEF cautions. At present rates, the world could still see 1.9 million new infections among children and 990 000 AIDS-related child deaths by 2040, underlining the slow pace of progress.
“The world was making progress in the HIV response, but persistent gaps remained even before abrupt global funding cuts disrupted services,” said Anurita Bains, UNICEF Associate Director of HIV and AIDS.
She warned that without renewed commitment and targeted investment, “ending AIDS in children is in jeopardy”, adding that the choice facing governments and donors is clear: invest today or risk losing millions of young lives.
According to the latest 2024 data, collected before funding reductions began to affect programmes, 120 000 children aged 0–14 acquired HIV, while 75 000 died from AIDS-related causes. This amounts to around 200 child deaths every day.
Among adolescents aged 15–19, 150 000 acquired HIV in 2024, with girls remaining disproportionately affected. Two-thirds of new infections in this age group occurred among girls, and in sub-Saharan Africa they accounted for 85% of new adolescent infections.
Treatment access for children also remains alarmingly low. Only 55% of children living with HIV received antiretroviral therapy compared with 78% of adults, leaving approximately 620 000 children without the medicines they need to survive.
Sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear the greatest burden, accounting for 88% of children living with HIV and more than 80% of new infections and AIDS-related child deaths globally.
UNICEF is urging world leaders to close the funding gap, strengthen prevention and treatment programmes, and ensure no child is left behind in the fight to end AIDS.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
