At the same time HIV and AIDS are having a devastating effect on young people. In many countries in the developing world, up to two-thirds of all new HIV infections are among people aged 15-24. Overall it is estimated that half the global HIV infections have been in people under 25 years - with 60% of infections of females occurring by the age of 20. Thus the hopes and lives of a generation, the breadwinners, providers and parents of the future, are in jeopardy. Many of the most talented and industrious citizens, who could build a better world and shape the destinies of the countries they live in, face tragically early death as a result of HIV infection.
Other health dangers facing adolescents include tobacco, alcohol and other drug misuse, their exploitation as cheap and often illegal labour, and the worrying growth in the numbers of street children. Recent estimates suggest there may be as many as 100 million street children, at high risk of malnutrition, infectious diseases, STDs including HIV/AIDS, and criminal and sexual exploitation. The rise in accidents, violence and suicides involving young people in many parts of the world is a cause for deep concern.