Infant HIV infections down 20% since 2001
By, Bill Varner, Bloomberg News, April 5, 2008
The number of babies born with the virus that causes AIDS or infected by breast milk decreased by 20 percent in six years, according to a United Nations report that credited treatment programs.
New infections dropped to 490,000 in 2007 from about 540,000, the World Health Organization and U.N. Children's Fund said. AIDS deaths among children younger than 15 declined to 290,000 from just more than 300,000, the agencies said.
"Important gains have been made in addressing treatment needs for children and in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV," Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS, which coordinates relief efforts, said in a statement.
The U.N. agencies said the number of women in African, Asian and Latin American nations receiving antiretroviral drugs has more than doubled, to about 25 percent.
The medicines reduce the mother's risk of transmitting the virus. Gains were reported in Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa and Thailand.
Achieving an "AIDS-free generation is possible," the report said, citing the overall increase in funding for AIDS treatment to $10 billion last year from $6.1 billion in 2004.
The U.N. report also said the number of HIV-positive children in low- and middle-income countries receiving antiretrovirals increased 70 percent since 2005, to 127,000 from 75,000.
Source: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/5676861.html
The number of babies born with the virus that causes AIDS or infected by breast milk decreased by 20 percent in six years, according to a United Nations report that credited treatment programs.
New infections dropped to 490,000 in 2007 from about 540,000, the World Health Organization and U.N. Children's Fund said. AIDS deaths among children younger than 15 declined to 290,000 from just more than 300,000, the agencies said.
"Important gains have been made in addressing treatment needs for children and in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV," Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS, which coordinates relief efforts, said in a statement.
The U.N. agencies said the number of women in African, Asian and Latin American nations receiving antiretroviral drugs has more than doubled, to about 25 percent.
The medicines reduce the mother's risk of transmitting the virus. Gains were reported in Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa and Thailand.
Achieving an "AIDS-free generation is possible," the report said, citing the overall increase in funding for AIDS treatment to $10 billion last year from $6.1 billion in 2004.
The U.N. report also said the number of HIV-positive children in low- and middle-income countries receiving antiretrovirals increased 70 percent since 2005, to 127,000 from 75,000.
Source: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/5676861.html
posted by AIDS-Care-Watch at 9:40 am
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