The Accelerating Children’s HIV/AIDS Treatment initiative will invest $200 million to double the total number of children on antiretroviral therapy across a number of priority African countries over the next two years. This investment will enable 300,000 more children living with HIV to receive treatment.

In 2013, 3.2 million children under the age of 15 were living with HIV globally – 91% of whom were in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, only 24% of these children are receiving treatment. Children living with HIV are one-third less likely to receive treatment compared to adults. Without antiretroviral treatment, half of the children living with HIV will die before their second birthday, and 80% will die before their fifth birthday.

The initiative will target the countries with the highest burden of paediatric HIV, the lowest access to paediatric treatment, and the greatest disparity in treatment coverage for children compared to adults living with HIV. The PEPFAR-CIFF partnership will jointly invest $200 million in ACT, $150 million from PEPFAR and up to $50 million from CIFF.

The announcement was made at the United States – Africa Leaders’ Summit in Washington DC.

About PEPFAR

The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is the U.S. Government initiative to save the lives of those affected by HIV/AIDS around the world. This historic commitment is the largest by any nation to combat a single disease internationally, and PEPFAR investments also help alleviate suffering from other diseases across the global health spectrum. PEPFAR is driven by a shared responsibility among donor and partner nations and others to make smart investments to save lives. For more information visit www.PEPFAR.gov