Adolescent HIV treatment

Globally, adolescents 10–19 years account for about 5 per cent of all people living with HIV, 11 per cent of new HIV infections and 5 per cent of all AIDS-related deaths. In 2021, about 1 million adolescents 10–19 years, or 59 per cent of adolescents living with HIV globally, received antiretroviral treatment.

Antiretroviral treatment coverage was 58 and 60 per cent among adolescent girls and boys, respectively. In order to reach the 95-95-95 targets by 2025, there is an urgent need to ramp up treatment efforts among adolescents.

Antiretroviral treatment coverage among adolescents 10–19 years varies across regions, with the lowest treatment coverage in Middle East and North Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean (both 42 per cent) and the highest in South Asia (64 per cent). In 2021, about 61 per cent of adolescents living with HIV aged 10–19 years in the 35 UNICEF HIV priority countries received antiretroviral therapy.

Globally, antiretroviral treatment coverage does not vary too drastically among adolescent boys and girls 10–19 years. In Eastern and Southern Africa and the Middle East and North Africa, adolescent boys 10–19 years have higher antiretroviral treatment coverage rates compared to adolescent girls 10–19 years. On the other hand, in South Asia, East Asia and Pacific, West and Central Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean adolescent girls 10–19 years have higher antiretroviral treatment coverage than adolescent boys 10–19 years.