1.9 Million Young Women Globally Living with HIV, Says AHF

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has sounded the alarm on a stark gender disparity in the global HIV epidemic, revealing that an estimated 1.9 million adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) were living with HIV worldwide in 2023. This figure, which significantly outweighs the 1.2 million adolescent boys and young men in the same age bracket, underscores the disproportionate burden of the virus on young women.

In a statement released to mark the upcoming 2025 International Day of the Girl, AHF highlighted the urgent crisis, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The organisation noted that an alarming 4,000 young women aged 15–24 become newly infected with HIV every week globally, with over 3,300 of these cases concentrated in the sub-Saharan region.

AHF attributes this persistent and alarming rate to deeply entrenched social and structural inequalities. According to the organisation, factors such as educational barriers—with 133 million girls globally out of school gender-based violence, child marriage, and limited access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRHR) services are primary drivers fueling the epidemic among young women.

The humanitarian body has issued a strong call to action to all stakeholders including governments, civil society, and development partners to drastically increase their investments. AHF specifically urges greater funding for HIV and STI prevention, testing, and treatment programs, alongside policies that expand healthcare access for AGYW. They also stress the critical need to address social determinants of health, including combating period poverty, promoting comprehensive sexuality education, and tackling the drivers of health inequality such as gender-based violence and child marriage.

In Nigeria, to commemorate the International Day of the Girl, AHF Nigeria is set to host an educational event on October 10 in Akwa Ibom State. Dr. Echey Ijezie, AHF Nigeria Country Programme Director, expressed deep concern over the challenges facing young girls, which include poor menstrual health management and a lack of access to reproductive health services. The event will focus on menstrual hygiene education and leadership talks, with a goal to protect girls from HIV, honour their achievements, and champion the expansion of educational and health opportunities. AHF is the world’s largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider, delivering medical services and advocacy to millions of clients across 50 countries.