LESOTHO: Rise in HIV-positive babies recorded

At least 15 percent of babies born in Lesotho each year are HIV-positive, the government and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) have said.

A joint report on the country's women and children, released on Wednesday, showed that between five and seven thousand newborns were infected - more than double the number just two years ago.

The document said the majority of HIV infections were the result of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), and a lack of education on MTCT prevention only worsened the situation.

There are more than 91,000 AIDS orphans aged up to 18 years in the tiny mountain kingdom of Lesotho.

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[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]