Today, young people (15-24) account for 40 per cent of all new adult HIV infections. Each day, more than 2400 young people become infected with HIV—and some five million young people are living with HIV. Young people are a fulcrum. They remain at the centre of the epidemic and they have the power, through their leadership, to definitively change the course of the AIDS epidemic.
HIGHLIGHTS
• In 2011, youth (15-24) accounted for 40% of all new global HIV infections in people aged 15 years and olderi
• In 2011, there were an estimated five million youth living with HIV and some 2400 youth newly infected with HIV every day.
• Among youth living with HIV, 3.6 million (78%) live in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Asia and the Pacific has the second highest number of youth living with HIV, with an estimated 550 000 young people living with HIV, and some 110 000 youth newly infected with HIV.
• Between 2001 and 2011, prevalence of HIV —a proxy indicator of new HIV infections—fell by nearly 27% among young people aged 15-24 globally.