The HIV epidemic continues to pose significant challenges globally, with the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region bearing a disproportionate burden. Recent data from UNAIDS (2023) indicates that the ESA region is home to 20.8 million people living with HIV, and this represents over half of the global total. While the region has made substantial progress, as evidenced by a 57% decrease in new infections and a 58% reduction in deaths since 2010, the absolute numbers remain concerning. The heterogeneity of the epidemic within the ESA region has further complicated the situation, with varying incidence rates across countries (UNAIDS, 2023). What has been of particular concern has been the impact of HIV on adolescents who are defined by UNICEF (2024) as individuals aged 10-19 years. The ESA region is said to account for an estimated 1.74 million adolescents living with HIV, constituting 60% of the global total in this age group (UNICEF, 2021a).

This paper presents a critical scoping review of social protection interventions for adolescents living with HIV in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA), a region disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic. Employing the Transformative Social Policy (TSP) framework, this review offers a critical analysis of the intersection between social protection and adolescents living with HIV, addressing a significant gap in the current literature.

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