‘We have come too far to let complacency derail progress towards ending HIV/AIDS in Europe and Central Asia’

GENEVA, 29 November 2024 – “We have come too far in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Europe and Central Asia to allow complacency in prevention and treatment to derail progress and put children’s lives at risk.

“The latest data show that a quarter of children aged 0-14 who need antiretrovirals in countries in the Europe and Central Asia region are not receiving this lifesaving treatment.

“Equally concerning, antiretroviral coverage for children has decreased over the last five years, dropping from 83 per cent in 2018 to 73 per cent in 2023. In 2023 alone, an estimated 760 children in the Europe and Central Asia region died from AIDS-related causes, the vast majority – 84 per cent – before their 10^th birthday.

“We are also witnessing troubling signs of faltering efforts to ensure the prevention of HIV/AIDS among children and teenagers across the region, particularly among girls. On average, 20 children and teenagers were newly infected with HIV every day throughout 2023 -- nearly three-quarters of whom were girls.

“While treatment coverage for children, and prevention efforts among adolescent girls are backsliding, there is a powerful public health success story in the prevention of vertical mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Europe and Central Asia.

“The mother-to-child transmission rate of HIV in the region has decreased more than fivefold over 23 years, from 28.1 per cent in 2000 to 5.7 per cent in 2023. Widespread HIV testing during antenatal care and high coverage of prevention interventions were the driving forces behind this achievement.

“We must now apply the same level of commitment and coordination to ensure that children and families have access to stigma-free treatment and that all children and teenagers can benefit from comprehensive prevention services, including testing.

“UNICEF works to prevent the spread of HIV infection in priority countries in the Europe and Central Asia region. This includes addressing barriers to protect children and young people from HIV transmission and work with them to raise awareness about this issue.

“We are not at the finish line yet. The AIDS epidemic is not over. Any slowdown in treatment and prevention efforts risks undoing the immense progress we’ve made in recent decades and endangering countless lives. We must not let this happen.”