ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said healthcare is a fundamental human right and acknowledged the growing HIV epidemic in Pakistan, according to an official news agency.

In his message on World AIDS Day, the PM called for bold, innovative, and sustainable interventions to address the challenge, PPI reported.

He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening the national HIV response and aligning it with global efforts to eradicate the disease.

Mr Sharif emphasised the importance of upholding the UN Declaration on Human Rights and fostering inclusivity for all communities as critical steps toward eliminating AIDS as a public health threat.

In his message on World AIDS Day, premier vows to strengthen national response to disease calls

He underscored that a future free from AIDS can only be achieved through collective action that respects human dignity, equity, and inclusion.

Amin Ahmed adds: Unicef has called for urgent action to address the disproportionate impact of HIV on adolescent girls and young women as new HIV infections among children and adolescents see a notable decline globally.

According to the latest estimates, globally, 96,000 girls and 41,000 boys aged from 15 to 19 were infected with HIV in 2023.

This translated into seven out of 10 new adolescent infections among girls. In sub-Saharan Africa, nine out of 10 new HIV infections among 15-19 year-olds were among girls.

Last year, over 90,000 children and adolescents died of AIDS-related issues, 73 per cent of whom were children under the age of 10.

The Unicef associate director of HIV/AIDS, Anurita Bains, said many countries have made remarkable strides towards ending AIDS, yet children and adolescents were not fully reaping the benefits of improved access to treatment and preventive measures.

“Children living with HIV must be prioritised when it comes to investing resources and efforts to scale up treatment for all, this includes the expansion of innovative testing technologies.”

Despite a decrease in overall rates of infection in most parts of the world since 2010, 74,000 new HIV cases among children and adolescents aged 15-19 were recorded in Eastern and Southern Africa in 2023, 18,000 in West and Central Africa, 8,900 in South Asia, 5,800 in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and 16,000 in East Asia and the Pacific.

In 2023, there were 250,000 new HIV infections in children till the age of 19, bringing the total number of children and adolescents living with HIV globally to 2.4 million.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2024