UNICEF says 30% AIDS-Related Deaths occurred in Nigeria in 2020

United Nations Children’s Fund revealed that, about 30 per cent of AIDS-related deaths in 2020 occurred in children in Nigeria.

This was disclosed in a report in commemoration of World AIDS Day.

UNICEF stated in its report that 20,695 children aged 0-9 years were newly infected with HIV in 2020 or one child every 30 minutes in Nigeria.

The report showed that only about 3.5 per cent of the 1,629,427 Nigerians receiving antiretroviral treatments are children, revealing a big treatment gap.

The UN agency added that Nigeria has the highest number of children and adolescents aged 0-19 years living with HIV in West and Central Africa, with an estimate of 190,000.

The report noted that globally, at least 300,000 children were newly infected with HIV in 2020, or one child every two minutes.

It said another 120,000 children died from AIDS-related causes during the same period, or one child every five minutes.

Press statement disclosed that “Alarmingly, two in five children living with HIV worldwide do not know their status, and just over half of children with HIV are receiving“ antiretroviral treatment. Some barriers to adequate access to HIV services are longstanding and familiar, including discrimination and gender inequalities.

UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Peter Hawkins said children and adolescents continue to be left behind in the HIV response around the world.

Hawkins said “In Nigeria, teenage girls also bear the heaviest burden. We must increase and sustain HIV investments to ensure children are born free of HIV and stay HIV-free throughout childhood and adolescence.