Number of adolescents dying from AIDS TRIPLES in 15 years - prompting calls for better access to HIV diagnosis

UNICEF say adolescent deaths from AIDS have tripled in 15 years

Majority of adolescents acquired the disease when they were infants

AIDS is leading cause of adolescent death in 10 to 19 year olds in Africa

Adolescents are only age group where AIDS mortality isn't decreasing

The number of children and teenagers dying from AIDS has tripled in the last 15 years, new figures reveal.

The majority of adolescent who died had acquired the disease when they were infants, UNICEF said.

AIDS is the leading cause of death among those aged 10 to 19 years old in Africa.

And it is the number two cause of death among adolescents globally, the United Nations children's agency said.

The number of adolescents dying from AIDS has tripled in the last 15 years, according to a new UNICEF report

It's latest statistical report states: 'Among HIV-affected populations, adolescents are the only group for which the mortality figures are not decreasing.

'Most adolescents who die of AIDS-related illnesses acquired HIV when they were infants, 10 to 15 years ago, when fewer pregnant women and mothers living with HIV received antiretroviral medicines to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child.'

For many who lost their lives to AIDS, they survived into their teenage years without knowing they had HIV.

However, among teenagers aged 15 to 19, 26 new infections occur every hour.

And about half of the two million people living with HIV in this group live in just six countries: South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, India, Mozambique and Tanzania.

The statement said: 'In sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the highest prevalence, girls are vastly more affected, accounting for seven in 10 new infections among 15 to 19 year olds.'

The number of lives saved thanks to the AIDS response in this century is remarkable. 'But for the sake of the children and adolescents still affected, and for all future generations, we cannot mistake advancement for attainment.

UNICEF’s Executive Director, Anthony Lake

The data reveals in sub-Saharan Africa, only around 11 per cent of 15 to 19 year olds have been tested for HIV.

Craig McClure, head of UNICEF's global HIV/AIDS programmes, said at the launch of the report: 'It is critical that young people who are HIV-positive have access to treatment, care and support.'

Only one in three of the 2.6 million children under the age of 15 living with HIV are on treatment.

Since 2000, nearly 1.3 million new infections among children have been averted, largely due to advances in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

By 2014, three in five pregnant women living with HIV received antiretroviral treatment to prevent transmission of the virus to their babies.

'This has translated into a 60 per cent reduction in AIDS-related deaths among children under four years of age since 2000,' the UNICEF statement added.

'These efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission will help to change the course of the epidemic for the next generation of adolescents.'

The UN said things have improved dramatically for younger children in the past 15 years.

For many who lost their lives to AIDS, they survived into their teenage years without knowing they had HIV, pictured, the UNICEF report said

Despite the fact that less than half of children under two months old are tested, fewer babies are now born with HIV and fewer are dying from AIDS-related illness.

Noting key areas of progress, UNICEF’s Executive Director, Anthony Lake, pointed out that there is still a long way to go.

He said: 'The number of lives saved thanks to the AIDS response in this century is remarkable.

'But for the sake of the children and adolescents still affected, and for all future generations, we cannot mistake advancement for attainment.

'We must do more, and do it faster than ever. That's the only way to achieve an AIDS-free generation.'

The report offers a series of recommendations, including improving access to early and easy HIV diagnosis for children and supporting women, children and adolescents to stay on treatment. Investing in proven prevention programmes, educating children and keeping girls in school, and improving data, especially on adolescents, are also recommended.

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