Victorious declarations that the ‘scales have tipped’ against HIV/AIDS don’t hold true for children
Declarations that "the scales have tipped" in a positive direction against HIV ignore lack of progress for infants and children infected with the virus.
The latest global report from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) includes much to celebrate. But it also demonstrates how far we still must go to protect the millions of children living with HIV.
First, the good news. Today, more than half of all people living with HIV are accessing the treatment they need to survive. A handful of countries and several major cities have already met the 90-90-90 targets. That means 90 percent of people living with HIV know their status; of those, 90 percent are getting treatment; and of those on treatment, 90 percent have achieved viral suppression — meaning the virus is undetectable in the bloodstream.
As UNAIDS executive director Michel Sidibé
