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Early detection of HIV in children stressed

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: A survey in the high prevalence states has shown that late diagnosis of HIV infection among children deprives them of medical care. The study, carried out by the Population Council, also suggests that although prevention of parent to child treatment has made it possible for HIV positive people to bear children safely, a lack of institutional deliveries in India prevents new technologies from reaching the women who need it.

The findings from a study of caregivers conducted in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Manipur suggests that children are tested late (80 per cent after 18 months), thereby missing the chance of being protected from opportunistic infections in infancy and early childhood. It stresses the need to find ways of diagnosing the infection among the children earlier.

Caregivers also face wide-ranging obstacles in terms of getting referred to appropriate facilities, financial difficulties, having to travel long distances to health centres and even the lack of complete information on HIV transmission and anti-retroviral treatment. Since 60 per cent of the infected were extremely poor, they had financial problems to get the tests done and to access drugs. Importantly, the caregivers also found difficulty in giving medication because of constant fear of stigmatisation of children.

The study also found that a vast majority of children on anti-retroviral therapy treatment were receiving the first line medications and were using fixed dose combinations. Nearly half of the caregivers reported difficulties in administering medication to children.

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