On May 27, the Coalition for Children Affected by AIDS (the Coalition), in partnership with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) and World Health Organization (WHO), hosted a webinar focused on HIV-affected adolescent mothers and their children.
The health and well-being of adolescent mothers and their children has been largely overlooked in the context of the global HIV response. The scale of vulnerability is significant: By the age of 18, 42% of adolescent girls and young women living in urban areas, and more than 50% of those living in rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa have been pregnant. In addition, four of every five new HIV infections among 15-19 year olds in sub-Saharan Africa occur among adolescent girls.
Adolescent girls are also at the epicentre of intersecting vulnerabilities, including those associated with gender inequality, poverty, violence, exclusion, poor education, and early childhood developmental delays that limit generations across a lifetime.
This webinar, which discussed the unique challenges in reaching this particularly vulnerable population, featured speakers including:
- Aida Yemaneberhan, EGPAF
- Laurie Gulaid, UNICEF
- Lucie Cluver, Oxford University and the University of Capetown
- Mary Mahy, UNAIDS
- Wole Ameyan, WHO
The slides are also available for download here.