According to the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), an average of 29 adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 are infected with HIV every hour.

Addressing the International AIDS Conference in South Africa which took place on Monday, July 18, 2016, the Executive Director of UNICEF, Anthony Lake indicated that AIDS ranks as the second cause of death amongst teenagers globally and ranks as one in Africa.

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“The battle against AIDS will not be over until we redouble prevention and treatment efforts; until we reach those young lives still being denied the progress that millions before them have enjoyed; and until we end the stigma and fear that prevent so many young people from getting tested,” he said.

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Meanwhile, mother-to-child transmission at birth and during breastfeeding has dropped by 70 per cent.

UNICEF has, therefore, called for efforts to eliminate the transmission of the virus fully from mother to child.