Young women at high risk of HIV in Southern Africa: report

More than 90 percent of new HIV infections in Southern Africa are among women between the ages of 15 and 19 years old, a new UNAIDS report launched in Namibia's capital Windhoek Monday has revealed.

The report contains detailed data on the complexities of HIV and reveals that girls' transition to womanhood is a very dangerous time, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The report that is running under the theme, Get on the Fast-Track: the Life Cycle Approach to HIV, was launched by President of Namibia, Hage Geingob and the Executive Director of UNAIDS Michel Sidibe.

According to Sidibe, young women are facing a triple threat as they are at high risk of HIV infection, have low rates of HIV testing and have poor adherence to treatment.

"The world is failing young women and we urgently need to do more," he said.

The report shows that about 55,000 young people died of HIV related deaths in 2015.

The report shows that countries have been on a fast track with an additional one million people accessing treatment in just 6 months (January-June 2016).

By June 2016, a record of 18.2 million people had access to life-saving medicines including 910,000 children, double the number 5 years earlier.

If these efforts are sustained and increased, the world will be on track to achieve the target of 30 million people on treatment by 2020. Endit