Target 95-95-95 during childhood and pre-adolescence in Latin America and the Caribbean

Highlights The 95-95-95 targets set by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) aim to reduce new infections, discrimination and deaths from HIV to zero. The rates for achieving the 95-95-95 targets are much lower than expected, especially for the group of children and teenagers. In the countries analyzed, only Guatemala met the first target 95. The second target was met by ten countries, and the third target was met by only four countries. Despite the increase in strategies for controlling HIV, there are many inequalities between countries, contributing to the vulnerability of some population groups, such as children and teenagers. Introduction: The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has set the 95-95-95 targets. It is expected that 95% of HIV-positive individuals will know their HIV status and of these, 95% will be on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 95% will achieve viral suppression. Objective: To analyze the distribution and spatial autocorrelation of the 95-95-95 targets among children and adolescents living with HIV/AIDS in Latin America and the Caribbean. Materials and Methods: An epidemiological ecological study using data from AIDSinfo by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) on the 95-95-95 targets among children and adolescents between 2015 and 2022. The analysis was performed using Moran's spatial autocorrelation coefficient (global and local), considering a 5% significance level. Results: A total of 52,000 and 42,000 cases of HIV/AIDS among children and adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean were analyzed, respectively, for the period from 2015 to 2022. Disparities in the targets were identified between countries, with significant spatial autocorrelation for the second target of 95, showing a value of 0.375 (p-value 0.017). Discussion: Among the 27 countries included in the study, only Guatemala met the first 95 target. To reach the goal, strategies are needed to increase access to HIV testing, with more accessible counseling and testing services. Conclusion: There are discrepancies between countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in meeting and increasing the percentage of the 95-95-95 targets. The study allowed the identification of priority areas for attention, highlighting the need for new strategies and policies tailored to each locality, assisting in the achievement of the targets. How to cite this article: Piran, Camila Moraes Garollo; De Oliveira, Natan Nascimento; Mori, Mariana Martire; De Oliveira, Rosana Rosseto; Villarroel Yañez, Leslie; Carmona-Gutiérrez, Andrés Antonio; Furtado, Marcela Demitto . Target 95-95-95 during childhood and preadolescence in Latin America and the Caribbean. Revista Cuidarte. 2025;16(1): e4186. https://doi.org/10.15649/cuidarte.4186