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The number of HIV-infected Ghanaian
children accessing HIV treatment doubled from 2009 to 2012, resulting in a
76-percent decline in HIV incidence among children since 2009. Ghana was one of
21 African countries targeted by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
(UNAIDS) “Global Plan towards elimination of new HIV infections among children
by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive” (Global Plan).
Other priority
countries where HIV incidence declined more than 50 percent among children
included Botswana, Ethiopia, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia. South
Africa had 24,000 fewer new HIV infections among children in 2012 than in 2009
(a 63-percent decline). Overall, HIV infections among children in the 21
priority nations declined by 38 percent (130,000 fewer new infections) since
2009.
Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS executive
director, reported progress had stalled in other African countries with high
HIV incidence and that access to HIV treatment was “unacceptably low” in most
of the Global Plan priority nations. HIV incidence increased in Angola, and the
2012 rate of incidence in Nigeria was “largely unchanged” from 2009. Of the 21
priority nations, Nigeria had the highest HIV incidence among children, with
60,000 new infections in 2012. Sidibé called for “urgent action” to reach the
Global Plan’s 2015 goals.
UNAIDS and the President’s Emergency
Plan for AIDS Relief revealed the Global Plan during the 2011 UN General
Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS. The plan’s 2015 target goals are to cut
new infections among children by 90 percent and to reduce AIDS-related maternal
deaths by 50 percent.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus.
To learn more about The Friends of
AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
