Kenya has launched a new campaign to fight rising HIV infections and deaths among adolescents. The Star reports that the National Aids Control Council (NACC) says adolescents (10-19 years old) have been left behind in the Aids response and have been over-looked in global, national and local programmes and budgets.
"As a result, Aids-related deaths among adolescents have not declined as seen among other age groups," says NACC executive director Dr Nduku Kilonzo. The 2012 Kenya HIV estimates say 17% of all Aids-related deaths in the country are among adolescents.
The new drive, called 'All In Campaign', is a global initiative to fast track reductions in Aids-related deaths and new infections among adolescents towards ending the Aids epidemic by 2030. It will also rope in the private sector and donors. Head of HIV at Unicef Ulrike Gilbert says the world urgently requires a clear road map to achieve this. "Adolescents are the only group where Aids related deaths are not declining," Ulrike said. "Stigma and discriminatory laws prevent adolescents from seeking and accessing HIV testing, treatment and care services and must be addressed."
Nduku said teenagers as young as 15 years can now be tested for HIV after counselling, without their parents consent. "The question now is how further down we can go," she says.
[link url="http://allafrica.com/stories/201502160963.html"]Full report in The Star[/link]