The newly ratified UN Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS is an important moment in the global HIV response. Setting a roadmap for the next five years, the declaration specifically calls out closing the pediatric treatment gap, prioritizing the elimination of vertical transmission, and addressing the unique vulnerabilities of children affected by or living with HIV.
But a declaration is only words until someone makes it real. That’s our focus at EGPAF.
The next 5 years offer a critical window for ending pediatric HIV. While global cooperation and the donor landscape are shifting, we are also in a period with incredible scientific advances in prevention, testing, and treatment.
Our challenge is to get these innovations to the people who need them most, as efficiently as possible. It’s a challenge we are ready for.
It means:
- Ensuring women living with and impacted by HIV have access to integrated maternal and newborn care, no matter where they live.
- Expanding access to early infant diagnosis and index testing, so every child living with HIV knows their status.
- Bringing optimized formulations to children living with HIV, so staying on treatment and achieving viral suppression is not a struggle for families.
- Leveraging evidence-based care models that bring together trained clinicians, effective community programs, and dependable health systems, so children can thrive.
We have the expertise to implement these solutions. What we need is sustained financing and prioritization to put this into practice and reach every child and family. This money isn’t charity; it is the investment needed to solve a solvable global health problem and create a safer, healthier world.
This declaration represents a moment. Now it is time for movement towards the end of pediatric AIDS and Generation Zero.
This was originally published on LinkedIn on June 24, 2026.
This declaration represents a moment. Now it is time for movement towards the end of pediatric AIDS and Generation Zero.
Doris macharia
About the Author
Doris Macharia
Dr. Doris Macharia is a global health leader and physician with more than two decades of experience advancing HIV prevention, treatment, and health equity across Africa and beyond. As the President of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), she leads with clarity, compassion, and a lifelong commitment to ensuring that no child is born with HIV and no mother is left behind.
Doris is based in Washington, DC.
