In 2025, late diagnosis of HIV in children continues to be a significant global concern, with many presenting with advanced HIV disease (AHD). This issue contributes to a considerable number of hospital admissions, particularly among infants, due to acute conditions such as pneumonia, sepsis, and diarrhea. These acute illnesses are frequently accompanied by important by sometimes subtler health issues, including malnutrition, anemia, and HIV-related encephalopathy. As a result, there is an alarming mortality rate during hospital stays, coupled with notably high post-discharge mortality rates in the year that follows. The WHO STOP AIDS technical brief provides a vital framework of care for children with AHD, outlining clear intervention strategies; however, its implementation remains inadequate worldwide, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, there is an urgent need for additional research to combat these unacceptably high mortality rates. Areas requiring investigation include the benefits of rapid PCR diagnostic confirmation in critically ill infants, enhanced strategies for both the prevention and treatment of malnutrition, clarification of the role of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in severe pneumonia and its management, and the formulation of effective prophylactic approaches for serious bacterial infections in the context of rising antibiotic resistance.
CROI Conference
