November 27, 2015
UNICEF: AIDS Leading Cause of Death for African Teenagers
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The United Nations' agency for children says AIDS is now the leading cause of death for African teenagers and the second most common killer for adolescents across the globe.
At a conference in South Africa on Friday, UNICEF said despite gains made among adults and babies with HIV, the number of 10-to-19-year-olds dying from AIDS-related diseases has tripled since 2000.
The chief of UNICEF's HIV and AIDS division, Craig McClure, said children born with the virus were dying in their teens because there was not enough treatment aimed at adolescents.
Mani Djelassem, a 17-year-old activist who was born HIV-positive, said it was essential to educate teenagers about the disease and the medication that has been vital to saving her own life.
