Access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for children living with HIV varies sharply across the countries in this WHO extract. Among the 86 observations actually dated 2025, the median pediatric ART coverage is 49.5% and the simple, unweighted mean is 49.0%. Thirty countries are at 60% or above, while seven are below 20%. The same-year range extends from 6% to 98%, so a single global-looking average hides a very wide treatment-coverage gap.
The indicator is not HIV prevalence, the number of children diagnosed, or the share with viral suppression. WHO’s Estimated antiretroviral therapy coverage among children compares the number of children living with HIV who are receiving ART with the estimated total number of children living with HIV. Because the denominator is an estimate of the full pediatric HIV population, the measure can be lower than a treatment percentage calculated only among children who already know their status.
Table of Contents
What pediatric ART coverage measures
The WHO indicator metadata defines the measure around children living with HIV who are currently receiving antiretroviral combination therapy under nationally approved treatment protocols or WHO/UNAIDS standards. The numerator is the number of children receiving ART at the end of the reporting period. The denominator is the estimated number of children living with HIV.
Those two components come from different kinds of evidence. Treatment counts can be compiled from facility ART registers, drug-supply management systems and national reporting processes. The denominator is estimated using standard HIV estimation methods, including Spectrum. That means the percentage is not a direct census of every child. Revisions to the estimated number of children living with HIV can change coverage even when the reported treatment count moves in the opposite direction.
The 2025 median across 86 country observations is 49.5%
Restricting the table to the 86 observations whose reference year is 2025 creates a cleaner cross-country snapshot. Seven countries are below 20%, 20 are from 20% to under 40%, 29 are from 40% to under 60%, 25 are from 60% to under 80%, and five are at 80% or above. The concentration is therefore in the middle bands: 54 of 86 observations fall between 40% and 80%.
The unweighted mean of 49.0% should not be confused with WHO’s global pediatric ART estimate. The WHO HIV response summary reports that about 55% of children living with HIV were accessing ART globally in 2025. WHO’s global and regional aggregates are weighted to reflect the number of children living with HIV in each country. The 49.0% figure here gives every one of the 86 country rows equal weight, so it answers a different descriptive question.
Mauritius reaches 98% in the synchronized 2025 subset
Mauritius has the highest 2025 observation at 98%. Azerbaijan, Malaysia and Nepal are each at 87%, followed by Botswana at 82%. Mali is at 77%, Kazakhstan and Thailand 76%, Tajikistan 75%, Morocco 73% and Ecuador 71%. Five countries are at 80% or above in the 2025 subset.
| Country | Pediatric ART coverage in 2025 |
|---|---|
| Mauritius | 98% |
| Azerbaijan | 87% |
| Malaysia | 87% |
| Nepal | 87% |
| Botswana | 82% |
| Mali | 77% |
| Kazakhstan | 76% |
| Thailand | 76% |
| Tajikistan | 75% |
| Morocco | 73% |
| Ecuador | 71% |
A high coverage percentage does not reveal how many children are living with HIV in that country, nor does it directly measure treatment quality, adherence or viral suppression. A small pediatric HIV population can have high coverage, while a country with a much larger number of children living with HIV can have the same percentage but a very different absolute treatment gap. Counts and coverage should therefore be kept separate.
Sudan is at 6%, with seven 2025 observations below 20%
At the lower end of the synchronized subset, Sudan is at 6% and the Dominican Republic at 14%. Papua New Guinea and Guyana are both at 18%, while Madagascar, the Philippines and the Republic of the Congo are at 19%. These seven countries make up the below-20% group. Djibouti and Honduras are at 24%, while the Central African Republic and Yemen are at 25%.
| Country | Pediatric ART coverage in 2025 |
|---|---|
| Sudan | 6% |
| Dominican Republic | 14% |
| Papua New Guinea | 18% |
| Guyana | 18% |
| Madagascar | 19% |
| Philippines | 19% |
| Congo | 19% |
| Djibouti | 24% |
| Honduras | 24% |
| Central African Republic | 25% |
| Yemen | 25% |
The map does not contain the variables needed to explain why coverage is low in a particular country. Pediatric diagnosis, treatment-site access, medicine supply, retention in care, family support, health-workforce capacity, displacement, conflict and reporting systems may all matter. Those possible mechanisms require separate evidence. The map is strongest as a tool for locating treatment-coverage gaps that deserve further investigation.
Africa contains both very low and relatively high pediatric ART coverage
Forty-nine of the 86 observations dated 2025 are African countries. Within that group, the simple median is about 47%, but the values span from Sudan at 6% to Mauritius at 98%. Botswana is 82%, Mali 77%, Morocco 73%, Guinea, Malawi and South Africa 67%, and Guinea-Bissau and Uganda 66%. The continent therefore cannot be described by a single low-coverage label.
The 18 Asian observations in 2025 are also widely dispersed. The Philippines is at 19%, Bangladesh 45%, Afghanistan 43%, Indonesia 55%, Pakistan 56%, Cambodia 62%, Viet Nam 69%, Thailand 76%, and Azerbaijan, Malaysia and Nepal 87%. These within-region differences are why the country values are more useful than a broad regional color impression.
Four of the 90 latest observations are not from 2025
The latest-value map contains 90 country rows, but 86 are dated 2025. Colombia is 30% in 2024, the Netherlands 76% in 2024 and Suriname 20% in 2024. Algeria’s latest retained value is 98% from 2013. Treating Algeria’s 2013 value as a current tie with Mauritius at 98% in 2025 would mix a twelve-year reference-date difference into the ranking.
The map therefore flags all four older observations with hatching. “Latest available” is a data-availability concept, not a guarantee that each country is measured in the same year. Summary statistics, the distribution and rankings in this article use only the 86 observations actually dated 2025.
Coverage is not prevalence, viral suppression, or the second 95
Pediatric ART coverage should not be read as an HIV prevalence rate. Prevalence asks what share of a population is living with HIV. This indicator starts with the estimated population of children already living with HIV and asks what share are receiving treatment. A country can therefore have relatively high treatment coverage and still face a substantial pediatric HIV burden, or have a low absolute burden and poor treatment coverage.
WHO also notes that this indicator is different from the second “95” in the 95-95-95 treatment cascade. The second 95 asks what share of people who know their HIV-positive status are receiving treatment. Pediatric ART coverage here uses the estimated total number of children living with HIV as the denominator, whether or not every child has been diagnosed. WHO’s guidance on treatment and care for children and adolescents emphasizes prompt ART initiation for children living with HIV.
Data source and mapping method
The statistical source is the WHO Global Health Observatory indicator HIV_0000000024 – Estimated antiretroviral therapy coverage among children. The indicator is available through the WHO GHO OData API, and its definition and estimation notes are documented in the WHO indicator metadata. The retained table contains 90 latest country observations with percentage values.
The latest-value map uses all 90 retained observations and marks the four pre-2025 values separately. The 2025 median, mean, grouped counts and ranking tables use only the 86 rows whose year equals 2025. Missing countries are not converted to zero. ISO-3 codes are joined to a low-resolution world boundary layer; Mauritius and Cabo Verde remain in the statistical calculations even though they do not appear as distinct polygons in this particular base map.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does pediatric ART coverage measure?
It is the share of the estimated total number of children living with HIV who are currently receiving antiretroviral therapy. It is not an HIV prevalence or viral-suppression rate.
Are all values on the map from 2025?
No. Of the 90 latest country observations, 86 are from 2025, three are from 2024 and Algeria’s retained value is from 2013. The 2025 rankings and distribution use only the 86 same-year rows.
Is the 49.0% country mean the global pediatric ART coverage rate?
No. It is an unweighted mean across 86 country observations. WHO reports about 55% global pediatric ART coverage in 2025 using aggregation that reflects the number of children living with HIV in each country.
Is this indicator the same as the second 95 in the 95-95-95 targets?
No. The second 95 uses people who know their HIV-positive status as the denominator. This indicator uses the estimated total number of children living with HIV, regardless of diagnosis awareness.
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