The First Lady of Ivory Coast reaffirmed her ambition to end the epidemic among children by 2030. This was during the opening of a strategic meeting of the West and Central Africa Hub of the Global Alliance, on Monday, May 11, 2026.

A commitment against "unacceptable inequalities"

Represented by Minister Jean-Louis Moluot, Dominique Ouattara , UNAIDS Special Ambassador, denounced the disparities in access to care. For her, providing care for children is not only a medical challenge, but a fight for justice and equity .

"Taking care of children living with HIV means engaging in the fight against the blatant disparities linked to inequalities in access to testing," she stressed.

West and Central Africa at the heart of the challenge

While significant progress has been made, the figures presented by Susan Kasedde , UNAIDS Regional Director, reveal the scale of the task:

1. Overrepresentation: The region is home to 68% of children living with HIV on the continent.
2. Treatment delay: Only 37% of children have access to antiretrovirals, compared to a target of 95% for 2030.
3. Major obstacles: Stigma and legislative barriers regarding the age of consent hinder early screening.

Ivory Coast on the front line

Health Minister Pierre N'Gou Dimba welcomed the national progress made while acknowledging that further efforts are needed to address mother-to-child transmission. He called for strong recommendations to translate strategies into concrete results.

The key countries of the Hub: Cameroon, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria alone account for 68% of the pediatric burden in the region.

A decisive international calendar

This meeting in Abidjan prepares the ground for upcoming global events:

1. June 2026: Special session on HIV in New York for a new Political Declaration.
2. Horizon 2030: The ultimate goal of the total elimination of pediatric AIDS.