AIDS Remains to be the Top Killer of African Adolescents

AIDS-related death between the 15 and 19 age group has more than doubled since 2000 with 29 new infections taking place across the world every hour.

The leading cause of death among Africans aged between 10 and 19 is HIV/AIDS, UNICEF chief Anthony Lake said at the start of a major international conference.

"Despite remarkable global progress in tackling the HIV/AIDS pandemic, much work remains to be done to protect children and adolescents from infection, sickness and death," Lake said in a statement released on the first day of AIDS 2016, held in the South African city of Durban.

AIDS/HIV - Clinical Features Treatment FAQ Prevention & Transmission
"AIDS is an epidemic disease, a potentially preventable, deadly infection for which there is no cure, no vaccine, and it is not under control." - National Commission on AIDS, 1993.

‘Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for about 70 percent of people in the world living with HIV and three out of every four adolescents newly infected by HIV in 2015 were girls.’

"AIDS is still the number two cause of death for those aged 10-19 globally -- and number one in Africa," added the head of the UN children's agency.

According to UNICEF, AIDS-related deaths among people aged between 15 and 19 have more than doubled since 2000, with 29 new infections within this age group taking place across the world every hour.

"Girls are particularly vulnerable, making up about 65 percent of new adolescent infections worldwide," said the statement.

Lab Test for AIDS/HIV
Describes how screening for HIV is performed in a laboratory.

Some 68 percent of 52,000 young people surveyed in 16 countries said they did not want to be tested, both because they were afraid of an HIV-positive result, and because they were worried about social stigma.

Meanwhile, new mother-to-child infections taking place during childbirth or breastfeeding have dropped by 70 percent since 2000.

AIDS and Pregnancy - Treatment - Caring HIV Babies
The Acquired immune deficiency syndrome is brought about by the deadly human immunodeficiency virus. In the USA alone an estimate of 120,000 - 160,000 women are HIV- infected.

In 2015, just six countries all but one in Africa accounted for half of new infections among under-14s: India, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania.

"The undeniable progress we have made in the last three decades does not mean that our struggle is over," said Lake.

AIDS/HIV - Epidemiology Terminology Infections
AIDS or HIV is an epidemic disease, a potentially deadly infection that can be prevented with precautions. AIDS/HIV symptoms manifest long after the actual infection occurs.

"The battle against AIDS will not be over until we redouble prevention and treatment efforts; until we reach those young lives still being denied the progress that millions before them have enjoyed; and until we end the stigma and fear that prevent so many young people from getting tested."

Source-AFP