What We're Reading: Elimination of Pediatric AIDS Real Possibility
Posted by
Stephanie Bowen
Vienna, Austria
July 21, 2010
The
LA Times and
USA Today wrote about the significant potential to eliminate pediatric HIV and AIDS in the near future. Both reporting from Vienna, Austria, at the 18th International AIDS Conference, they cited the more than 400,000 babies who are needlessly infected with HIV each year.
The articles discussed the critical importance of expanding services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the virus in the developing world.
"Virtual elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015 is possible," said Paul De Lay, deputy director of the UNAIDS, as quoted in both articles. "Relatively small investments can go a long way in saving mothers and babies."
The articles also wrote about the need for early infant HIV testing, diagnosis and treatment, which was the subject of a conference session yesterday featuring presentations by the Foundation’s Dr. Laura Guay and Dr. Denis Tindyebwa.
Without early diagnosis and prompt treatment, about a third of HIV-infected infants will die before their first birthday, and half will die before the age of two.