DRC TAKES STEP TO END PEDIATRIC AIDS BY 2030

President Tshisekedi’s $18M Initiative Targets Lifesaving Access for Children and Mothers

Health Democratic republic of congo Eradicate pediatric hiv Leadership.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has launched an ambitious five-year initiative to eradicate pediatric HIV by 2030, a first-of-its-kind strategy that places children, adolescents, and pregnant women at the center of the country’s health agenda.

The announcement came directly from President Félix Tshisekedi at a high-level government conference in Lualaba Province, where he declared: “Our country can no longer tolerate children being born and growing up with HIV, when tools exist to prevent, detect, and effectively treat this infection.”

The Presidential Initiative to End Pediatric AIDS will begin with an $18 million commitment in national funding, prioritizing early detection, immediate treatment, and the elimination of structural barriers that have left thousands of Congolese children without access to HIV care.

The initiative is more than just a health plan; it is a pointed response to a long-standing inequity. While the DRC has made measurable progress in adult HIV treatment, with over 91% of adults living with HIV receiving antiretroviral therapy, only 44% of children with HIV currently receive the same care, a figure that has stagnated for over a decade.

The consequences are stark: every year, thousands of children in the DRC continue to contract HIV, primarily through mother-to-child transmission that could have been prevented with timely antenatal testing and maternal care.

“The eradication of paediatric AIDS is a moral imperative, an imperative of social justice and an indicator of dignity,” President Tshisekedi emphasized.

The new plan targets four priority areas: Early detection and treatment for children, adolescents, and pregnant women, Prevention of new infections among children and mothers. Immediate, systematic therapy upon diagnosis. Elimination of access barriers within the health system.

The launch comes at a critical time. According to UNAIDS, global HIV programming is facing serious challenges, with international development funding shrinking and medication stockpiles under threat.

UNAIDS DRC Country Director Susan Kasedde applauded the move, calling it “a breath of fresh air” in a time of uncertainty, “At a time when development financing is experiencing turbulence and risks jeopardizing the systems that support the most vulnerable, President Tshisekedi’s leadership initiative is a beacon of hope,” she said.

Beyond national borders, the initiative also reinforces the DRC’s commitment to global health targets, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 3, which calls for ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all.

If successful, the initiative could position the DRC as a continental leader in child-focused HIV response, setting a precedent that others may soon follow.

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DRC TAKES STEP TO END PEDIATRIC AIDS BY 2030

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