International Children’s Day: Keeping Children at the Centre of the HIV Response

As the global community looks ahead to the next UN High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, International Children’s Day is a timely reminder that children and adolescents must remain central to future HIV commitments.

Significant progress has been made in preventing new HIV infections and expanding access to treatment, but children and adolescents remain under-prioritised in both HIV policy and financing conversations, despite having unique and evolving needs across childhood and adolescence. As the global HIV response continues to evolve, it is critical that children are not lost within wider discussions on financing and health systems reform.

A child-centred approach to ending HIV recognises that children’s wellbeing is shaped by the systems around them — including family support, nutrition, education, mental health, and protection from stigma and discrimination. Effective HIV care must evolve with the child, responding to changing needs from infancy through adolescence and into adulthood.

This is particularly important as countries increasingly move towards more integrated health systems. The integration of HIV services within broader healthcare presents an opportunity to improve accessibility, strengthen continuity of care, and provide more holistic support for children and families. But integration must be intentional. Without clear planning, investment, and accountability, there is a real risk that the specific needs of children and adolescents affected by HIV become less visible.

For integration to succeed, HIV services must remain responsive to the realities of children’s lives — connecting maternal and child health, adolescent care, mental health support, nutrition, and community-based services in ways that are accessible, coordinated, and family-centred.

Children and young people must also be meaningfully included in shaping the future of the HIV response. Listening to their experiences and perspectives helps ensure policies and programmes are grounded in lived realities and better equipped to meet their needs.

As we mark International Children’s Day, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring children and adolescents remain visible, prioritised, and funded within the HIV response. Decisions made now will shape the future of HIV care for the next generation.

By centring children, investing in integrated approaches, and strengthening collaboration, we can help build a future where every child and young person affected by HIV has the opportunity to thrive.