Although impressive progress has been made in the fight to end AIDS, we still remain off of track from reaching the global goals. In sub-Saharan Africa, the region hardest hit by HIV, adolescent girls and young women carry the highest risk of acquiring HIV. UNAIDS highlighted in a report, that almost 40 years into the fight, AIDS is still the leading cause of death for women aged 15 to 49 years, with roughly 6,000 young women aged between 15 and 24 acquiring HIV every week.
This report by UNAIDS, We’ve got the power, was released ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March. It reveals that despite progress in key areas such as school enrollment, political participation and scaling up of HIV treatment, many of the promises made to improve the lives of women and girls have not been kept. The report calls on governments to do more to empower women and girls and fulfill their human rights.