HIV and AIDS are having an increasing impact on the health and welfare of children. In 2007, around 270,000 children under the age of 15 died of AIDS-related causes, the overwhelming majority in sub- Saharan Africa. Many of these children were never diagnosed with HIV and did not receive proper treatment. Most of these deaths could have been avoided through early diagnosis of HIV and timely provision of effective treatment and care. Evidence has shown that HIV develops more aggressively in infants and children than in adults. Without care and treatment, about one third of babies born with HIV die before their first birthday and around half die before the age of two. But if babies receive preventive interventions soon after birth and anti-retroviral therapy as soon as they are diagnosed, they have a good chance of surviving childhood and living a long, healthy life. Find out more about our campaign: http://www.unicef.org.uk/unite?thesource=dmot
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