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New RIATT-ESA Call-Time to Step-Up: Prioritise Children, Adolescents, Families and Carers Affected By AIDS in Eastern and Southern Africa

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The Call to Action Outlines Action Steps Needed to Prioritize Children Affected by AIDS in the era of the Sustainable Development Goals

Ending the HIV pandemic is possible, but to do so, we must act quickly and recognize that the needs of children—the most vulnerable among us and unable to advocate on their own behalf—include but go beyond ending the spread of HIV and finding a cure. 

For children, urgent steps are required including:

  • Better integrating strategies to reach this population into regional and national plans

  • Providing the care and support needed to ensure optimal development

  • Scaling up treatment, prevention and access to services—for children and their carers

The call to action sets out eight critical action steps needed to provide children, adolescents and carers with the focused attention required to turn the tide on HIV and AIDS:

  • Scale-up access to PMTCT services

  • Scale-up paediatric testing (early infant diagnosis)

  • Increase treatment access and reduce loss to follow-up

  • Provide HIV-sensitive social protection services

  • Invest in the early years of children living affected by HIV

  • Strengthen linkages between child protection and HIV services

  • Intensify HIV prevention and treatment for adolescents

  • Strengthen support for primary caregivers and community level care providers