The HIV/AIDS pandemic

The HIV/AIDS pandemic is one of the most important and urgent public health challenges facing governments and civil societies around the world. Adolescents are at the centre of the pandemic in terms of transmission, impact, and potential for changing the attitudes and behaviours that underlie this disease.
It is estimated that 50% of all new HIV infections are among young people (about 7,000 young people become infected every day), and that 30% of the 40 million people living with HIV/AIDS are in the 15-24 year age group. The vast majority of young people who are HIV positive do not know that they are infected, and few young people who are engaging in sex know the HIV status of their partners.
The importance of focusing on young people has been recognised at a global level by the 2001 UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS, which endorsed a number of goals for young people, including:
"By 2003, establish time-bound national targets to achieve the internationally agreed global prevention goal [adopted during the ICPD+5 Conference] to reduce by 2005 HIV prevalence among young men and women aged 15-24 in the most affected countries by 25% and by 25% globally by 2010"
"By 2005, ensure that at least 90%, and by 2010 at least 95% of young men and women have access to the information, education, including peer education and youth-specific education, and services necessary to develop the life skills required to reduce their vulnerability to HIV infection; in full partnership with youth, parents, families, educators and health care providers."
Fortunately, most young people are not infected. In fact, during early adolescence HIV rates are the lowest of any period during the life cycle. The challenge is to keep them this way. Focusing on young people is likely to be the most effective approach to confronting the epidemic, particularly in high prevalence countries.