Young People and HIV/AIDS

Dr. Susan Kasedde's presentation for the Programming for Adolescents and Youth in the Arab States/MENA Region conference in Istanbul, Turkey, December 3-7 2012, opens with 2012 statistical trends in new HIV infection in adults and children. Kasedde poses the question: "The vast majority of adolescents living with HIV (60%) are adolescent girls. Why?" Among the answers she lists are the following:

• "Early sexual debut; older partners, greater risk.
• Low levels of knowledge about HIV, low risk perception.
• Greater biological susceptibility in young women and girls.
• Social and income inequality and lack of access to services."

The presentation graphs new infection (2010 statistics), showing the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as the lowest of the regions shown; a subsequent slide maps regional infection rates by country. Slides compare infection rates in adolescent boys and girls. Information on levels of comprehensive knowledge among older adolescents - "A Right to Information" - shows no data available for boys 15 - 19 years in the MENA region and a very low level of knowledge in girls in that age group.  AIDS response in the region is also low:

• "17% increase in AIDS deaths (only region other than EE/CA [Eastern Europe and Central Asia] to record increases in AIDS deaths.
• Lowest coverage of effective regimens for PMTCT [prevention of mother to child transmission] for positive pregnant mothers (7% compared to 57% globally).
• Lowest coverage of ART [antiretroviral treatment] for eligible PLHIV [people living with HIV] (15% compared to 54% globally)."

Goals are: a reduction by half of new sexually transmitted HIV infection and of new infections in injecting drug users, as well as universal access to treatment.

Dr. Kasedde's questions for discussions are:

1. Is it important to the governments and communities in this region that they achieve these targets?
2. Given the challenges highlighted, what will it take for the region to achieve the targets?

By way of supplying further information for discussion, the presentation offers: more information on adolescent key affected populations including injecting drug users, men who have sex with men (MSM), and sex workers; an investment framework on basic programme activities of PMTCT, treatment, care, and support of PLHIV, male circumcision, behaviour change programmes, and work with key populations; and a graph showing predictors of future investments from "Modeling of Cost & Impact of application of HIV Investment Framework for Adolescents", followed by recommended resources.