In wealthy countries, successful measures to prevent mother-to-child transmission mean that only a small number of children are infected with HIV. Paediatric HIV/AIDS is therefore largely a problem in poor countries only – this is a major factor explaining why diagnostics and treatments for children lag behind. As there is little financial incentive for pharmaceutical companies to develop products specifically to treat children, it has taken much longer for paediatric versions of antiretroviral drugs to be made available than adult formulations. Even when paediatric versions do exist they are considerably more expensive than the drugs designed for adults.
MSF’s experience with paediatric HIV
MSF started providing antiretroviral therapy to children in December 2000. Over the last five years, nearly 10,000 children under the age of 15 have started antiretroviral therapy in our programmes worldwide, of which 4,000 are children under five years of age. Our experience has shown that children respond very well to treatment and can improve quickly. MSF’s largest paediatric project in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe has been very successful in reducing the mortality rates amongst the 1,800 children on antiretroviral therapy there.
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