UNICEF has revealed that more adolescents are dying from AIDS, with the number of deaths worldwide tripling over the last 15 years.
According to UNICEF, 26 new infections are found every hour and AIDS is the leading cause of death among 15 to 19 year olds in Africa and the second leading cause of death among adolescents around the world.
Statistics have not decreased among adolescents in HIV-affected populations and continue to rise.
UNICEF’s Statistical Update on Children, Adolescents and AIDS finds that 1 in 3 of about 2.6 million children under the age of 15 that are living with HIV, are on treatment, and most of the adolescents contracted the disease when they were infants, from mother to child.
According to UNICEF, some of those affected were not aware that were HIV-positive and lived to their teenage years; others have not been very fortunate.
UNICEF has called on immediate investments to be made to provide life-saving treatment to children infected by HIV.
