ZAMBIA: Paediatric AIDS treatment numbers still low

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) expressed concern this week over the poor availability of anti-AIDS medication for HIV-positive children in Zambia.

According to UNICEF Resident Representative Dr Stella Goings, fewer than 15,000 of the 92,000 children living with AIDS have access to child-friendly antiretrovirals (ARVs).

She attributed the low treatment numbers to a lack of investment in manufacturing paediatric formulas by pharmaceutical companies.

A spokesman for the Zambian Ministry of Health, Victor Mukonka, told the local Post newspaper that few children were receiving treatment because more adults than children required it.

Theme (s): Care/Treatment - PlusNews,

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