Paediatric HIV: Progress on Prevention, Treatment and Cure

This review provides an update on current developments with prevention, treatment and cure strategies in the field of pediatric HIV.

There has been tremendous progress in the prevention and treatment of pediatric HIV infection. With new strategies for prevention of mother-to-child transmission, we are growing ever closer towards elimination of pediatric HIV, though challenges with retention of pregnant woman and their HIV-exposed infants remain. Ongoing vigilance regarding the potential hazards of in utero ART exposure to infants continues with no significant alarms yet identified. Though cure has not been achieved, evidence of the impact of early treatment on reducing HIV-1 reservoir size with subsequent prolonged remission has enlivened efforts to rapidly identify and treat HIV-infected newborns. There is an increasing array of treatment options for pediatric patients and reassuring evidence regarding long-term complications of ART. Unfortunately, despite evidence suggesting the benefit of early treatment, timely identification and treatment of children remains a challenge. Better strategies for effective case-finding and engagement in care are urgently needed in addition to an improved understanding of how to retain HIV-positive children and adolescents on treatment. However, further emboldened by recent international commitments and robust global support, the future is hopeful.