Gandhi to launch Paediatric AIDS initiative

[Guest guest]

Gandhi to launch AIDS initiative

New Delhi, Nov 30: On the eve of World Aids Day, Congress president

Gandhi will launch the first ever National Paediatric HIV/AIDS

Initiative, which will offer various facilities for the care and

protection of the children infected with the disease.

Former US President Bill Clinton, whose foundation will be providing

drugs free of cost, will deliver the key note at the launch on

Thursday here.

Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss will also be present.

" This is the first time that we are launching a initiative that

targets the children specifically, " National Aids Control

Organisation (NACO) Director General Sujatha Rao told reporters.

She said under the initiative there will be 36 Anti-Retroviral

Therapy (ART) centres and seven registered paediatrics centres where

free cd-4 count monitoring, a test for HIV/AIDS, till the age of 15

years will be done.

Apart from this, DNA PCR tests for the child up to the age of 18

months will also be taken under this scheme.

The children will also be diagnosed and treated for opportunistic

infections, she said.

" We will also be offering liquid formulations for babies weighing

less than five kg, " Rao said.

According to NACO, there are 5.2 million HIV infected people in the

country.

About 85.7 per cent of HIV infection in the country is through sexual

intercourse.

It is followed by mother to child (4.3 per cent), through blood and

blood products (1.9 per cent) and injecting drug users (1.9 per

cent).

Bureau Report

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