Ahead of the 2026 High-level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, civil society, NGOs, and community representatives from across the globe joined a Stakeholder Hearing to share their insights with Member States.
Rhoda Igweta, Regional Director of Public Policy & Advocacy, represented EGPAF and made a passionate call for leaders to prioritize children.
Full Remarks
My name is Rhoda Igweta from the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
I want to speak directly about children because in every HIV financing conversation happening right now, they are the ones falling through the cracks.
The data is alarming. From 2024 to 2025, HIV testing among children dropped by 34 percent. 50,000 fewer infants received early diagnostic testing. 54,000 fewer children are on treatment today than a year ago. At this rate, by 2040, we could see nearly 2 million new infections and close to 1 million AIDS-related deaths among children.
This is not a pediatric HIV response problem. We know what works. This is a financing and prioritization problem.
When budgets are cut and systems are stretched, children suffer first because they cannot walk into a clinic alone, as they depend on caregivers and on supply chains that deliver testing kits and pediatric formulations on time. They depend on outreach workers who ensure that mum and baby pairs remain connected in the health system. When those systems weaken, children disappear from care.
But here’s what we know: the platforms that prevent vertical transmission of HIV also deliver services for syphilis and hepatitis B. Integration is not just smart policy; it is the most cost-effective path to reaching women and children consistently.
So as Member States look toward the 2026 High-Level Meeting, we ask three things:
- Protect and sustain financing for pediatric HIV services.
- Invest in integrated maternal, newborn, and child health platforms, because that is where the efficiency gains are.
- Set explicit, measurable pediatric targets so children are central, not peripheral, to the next phase.
An AIDS-free generation is possible. But only if we fund for it.
Thank you.
About the Author
Rhoda Igweta
Rhoda is the Regional Director of Public Policy & Advocacy at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. She leads EGPAF’s Africa-based advocacy work by developing and implementing advocacy strategies that align with national and regional priorities, with a particular focus on pediatric, adolescent, and women’s health.
Rhoda is based in Nairobi, Kenya.
