AIDS has become the leading cause of death for adolescents in Africa and the second leading cause of death among adolescents globally, global health agencies said Tuesday. From the AP:
Global health organizations said Tuesday that AIDS is now the leading cause of death for adolescents in Africa, and the second leading cause of death among adolescents globally. Road accidents and injury are the number one killer of adolescents globally, said Michael Hollingdale, a UNAIDS spokesman.
About 120,000 people aged between 10-19 years died of AIDS-related illnesses in 2013, the eight international organizations said while launching a global campaign in Kenya to stem the spread among adolescents.
Adolescent girls, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, are most affected, said the organizations which included UNAIDs, U.N. children’s fund, World Health Organization and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief or PEPFAR, among others.
In South Africa in 2013, more than 860 girls became infected with HIV every week, compared to 170 boys, they said.
Girls are more vulnerable because of physiological factors that see them more susceptible to infection, said Dr. Lilian Otiso, director of services at LVCT Health, an NGO that deals with AIDs prevention and treatment across Kenya.
Social-economic factors that see girls having sex at younger ages than their male peers also play a major role, she said. They might date older men who can provide for them, she said. Others, such as the 16-year-old, are forced to fend for themselves at young ages and become victims of sexual exploitation, abuse and rape, Dr. Otiso said.
—————————————-
Global Health and Development Beat
An aggressive new strain of HIV has been identified, scientists have warned. A new study found the strain, called CRF19, is capable of transforming from an infection to full-blown aids within just three years.
HIV infections are on the rise among people in Africa who inject illegal drugs. A new report recommends scaling-up programs designed to prevent the spread of the AIDS virus among drug users.
A 24-year-old Brazilian student has created a portable medical lamp that kills antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Malawi passed a law banning child marriage, raising the minimum age to 18 in a country where half of girls end up as child brides.
Three people died and over 100 others were hospitalized on Monday following a cholera outbreak in Kenya’s Homa Bay, reports The Star.
Ebola has affected every area of life in Sierra Leone, and made it even more challenging for pregnant women to get the care they desperately need. Activist Fatou Wurie spoke with Amnesty International about her personal experiences of maternal health care there.
Anglicans gathered with other faith leaders in London to set recommendations for how faith communities can work collaboratively, together with governments and national and international stakeholders, to end sexual violence in conflict.
An estimated 230 million migrants will send $500 billion in remittances to developing countries in 2015, a flow of capital expected to do more to reduce poverty than all development aid combined, a senior official of the U.N. agricultural bank said.
—————————————-
Spotlight on PSI
What if obtaining prescription contraception was as easy as getting books from Amazon? And what if a woman in a developing country got increased access to contraception for each cycle you purchased?
PRJKT RUBY, in coordination with public health focused pharmaceutical company Afaxys Pharmaceuticals, has created a way to provide US-based women with private, safe access to prescription contraception via the Internet, while also helping women in Africa, Asia, Latin America or the Caribbean with their family planning needs.
Dubbed the Take1Give1 initiative, the Impact blog explains how it works. Check it out here.
—————————————-
Buzzing in the Blogs
A joint OpEd from the heads of UNAIDS and UNICEF calls for a focus on the burden of AIDS on adolescents in Africa. They write in the Daily Maverick:
Many adolescents feel misunderstood, but when it comes to HIV and adolescents, it is not just a passing phase. National health plans and health systems in the most affected countries do not track or focus on adolescents – and there is precious little data monitoring their health and development over the age of five. Too old for paediatrics and often deemed too young for adult health services, many adolescents fall through the cracks at a time they most need our attention.
We must do more to protect all adolescents and empower them to protect themselves and their health. In fact, we cannot end the epidemic without a global movement to end Aids-related deaths and new HIV infections among adolescents.
There are promising signs that such a movement is gathering force. More programmes are reaching out to adolescents, many steered by young people themselves. More countries are including adolescents in national Aids agendas.
The United States of America recently announced a new investment of US$ 210 million to prevent new HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women. The Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria recently announced US$ 14 billion in grant money, with a commitment to include a focus on the adolescents at greatest risk.
We need to build on this momentum. This week, leaders working to end the Aids epidemic are coming together in Kenya to call for a new global target of reducing Aids-related deaths among adolescents by 65% and cutting new HIV infections among adolescents by 75% in the next five years.
—————————————-
By Mark Leon Goldberg and Tom Murphy
Subscribe to receive the Daily Impact in your inbox each morning!
Have a news or story tip? Email us at [email protected].
Disclaimer: Opinions presented in this email do not necessarily reflect the views of PSI.
