More HIV-infected women, children now getting treatment

MANILA, Philippines – More children and pregnant women infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are receiving treatment, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said.

But despite this development, “there is still a long way to go before the promise of an AIDS-free generation is fulfilled,” UNICEF said, citing the United Nation’s “Children and AIDS” report.

“Today’s children and young people have never known a world free of AIDS. Thousands lose their lives to the disease every year, and millions have lost parents and caregivers. Children must be at the heart of the global AIDS agenda,” said UNICEF executive director Ann M. Veneman.

The report, produced by UNAIDS, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, reviews the progress made and the remaining challenges in the battle against HIV/AIDS. 

The report showed that in 2007, some 290,000 children below 15 years old died from AIDS and some 12.1 million children in sub-Saharan Africa lost one or both parents to the disease.

But by the end of 2006, there were already 21 countries on track to meet the “Unite for Children: United Against AIDS” target of 80 percent coverage for “preventing mother-to-child transmission” of HIV programs by 2010, an increase from the 11 nations in 2005.

The report also showed that the number of HIV-positive children in low and middle income countries who received anti-retroviral treatment rose by 70 percent from 2005 to 2006. ARV is applied to slow down the progression of HIV to AIDS.

UNAIDS executive director Dr. Peter Piot stressed that “important gains have been made in addressing treatment needs for children and in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

“However, much more needs to be done to prevent HIV amongst young people and adolescents if we are to make a major change in the direction of the epidemic,” Piot added.

The report seeks to strengthen communities and families whose role is crucial to every aspect of a child-centered approach to AIDS; reinforce health, education and social welfare system to effectively support affected children; integrate services for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission in maternal, newborn and child health-care programs; and consolidate data and measurement to document advances and shortfalls and strengthen commitment.   – Sheila Crisostomo