Antiretroviral Treatment in the Spotlight: The HIV epidemic and continuum of care in children in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2015

Abstract

[Executive Summary]. The main objective of this report is to identify progress, gaps and challenges in the response to children living with HIV. The aim is to contribute to a more focused, effective and accelerated response towards achieving the 90-90-90 targets on HIV diagnosis, treatment and viral load suppression among this vulnerable population by 2020. The report includes an overview of estimates and trends for children living with HIV, children newly diagnosed, and HIV-related deaths. Additionally, the report includes key information on policies, and programmatic inputs, outputs and outcomes. The document is supported with secondary data from PAHO Member States from the UNAIDS Global AIDS Response Progress Reporting (GARPR) and the UNAIDS Spectrum Estimates. The main findings show that since 2007, the number of children living with HIV in LAC has continuously decreased. This may be due to the reduction in new HIV infections achieved by interventions that prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), (which has overridden the concomitant reduction in the number of deaths) and to the fact that children who access pediatric care and treatment programs survive longer, and gradually transition to adult care (and therefore are no longer counted in estimates of children ages 0-14 living with HIV).