In 2015, approximately 1.8 million children (<15 years; 1.5-2.0 million) were living with HIV, and 150,000 children (110,000-190,000) were newly infected with HIV (UNAIDS, 2016). An estimated 90% of HIV-infected children contract the disease perinatally during pregnancy (in utero), delivery (intrapartum), or postpartum periods. Effective preventive interventions—including HIV screening, essential antiretroviral therapy (ART), safe delivery and caesarean section, and optimal infant feeding practices—can reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV to less than 2%. The number of new HIV infections per year among children has decreased by nearly 50% since 2010 due to increased availability of and access to essential ART (UNAIDS, 2016); however, the burden of HIV/AIDS among children remains unacceptably high, disproportionately affecting children in resource-limited settings. Over 90% of new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths in children occur in sub-Saharan Africa.
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