Are we there yet? 40 years of successes and challenges for children and adolescents living with HIV

Abstract

Forty years ago, the first adult HIV cases were published, with infant cases following within a year [1]. As a few of these then‐babies approach their 40th birthdays, both their growth and science’s growth tell dramatic stories. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) transformed HIV from a deadly infection into a chronic disease. Just as miraculous, an AIDS‐free generation became imaginable, using ART to prevent >95% of perinatal transmission. While these advances in HIV prevention and treatment deserve celebration, attention should be devoted to remaining hurdles – such as behavioural, social viral suppression and drug resistance challenges – that must still be overcome to ensure successful life‐long outcomes for the global population of children and adolescents who have grown up with HIV (CAWH)