For a majority of people, HIV was equal to AIDS. Yet Yana Panfilova’s – an HIV positive teen activist – mother, who organized support groups for HIV-positive children, made her realize that HIV doesn’t kill. Ignorance does.
HIV prevention among adolescent girls and young women is one of the main priority areas of UNICEF’s HIV and AIDS programme. The urgent need to do better for this neglected yet vulnerable population is clear: Every hour, 30 adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 are newly infected with HIV, and most of them are girls.
Babies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo can wait months for HIV results, but new technology can give a result the same day, speeding up treatment, and saving lives.
In Sierra Leone, all children living with HIV can be enrolled in antiretroviral treatment free of charge. At the HAPPY Kids and Adolescents centre, kids get the support to lead happy and healthy lives.
