DILI, 06 october 2022 ( TATOLI) – The authority recorded that from 2003 to 2022 as many as 51 children in Timor-Leste are infected with HIV/AIDS.
President of the National Institute of HIV/AIDS, Atanasio de Jesus said, regarding this issue, INSCSIDA has collaborated with the Ministry of Health to prevent infection in children.
“Based on INCSIDA data, from 2003 to the end of September 2022, 51 children were confirmed positive for HIV/AIDS, thus INCSIDA has collaborated with the Ministry of Health through the National Hospital (HNGV), Bairo-Pite Clinic and other relevant agencies to combat HIV/AIDS that afflicted in the children,” INCSIDA President Atanasio de Jesus told TATOLI at his office in Luru – Mata, Dili, Thursday.
According to Atanasio de Jesus, children suffer from HIV/AIDS because it is transmitted from mother to child: “Mothers who are HIV/AIDS positive during pregnancy and breastfeeding will transmit the disease to their children and their children will also become infected with HIV/AIDS,”
“To prevent disease transmission, INCSIDA cooperates with the Ministry of Health to implement mandatory blood tests for pregnant women and the use of new antiretroviral drugs for pregnant women and babies after giving birth, this is because transmission often occurs during the delivery process, to be able to identify the disease, and provide early treatment to the baby after birth,” he added.
HIV can be passed from a mother with HIV to her child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding which is called perinatal HIV transmission. In Timor – Leste, this is the most common way children under the age of 13 are exposed to HIV. Perinatal transmission of HIV is also known as mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
A recently released data from UNAIDS Global AIDS Update 2022, only half (52%) of children living with HIV are on life-saving treatment, far behind adults where three quarters (76%) are receiving antiretrovirals,
Concerned by the stalling of progress for children, and the widening gap between children and adults, UNAIDS, UNICEF, WHO, and partners have brought together a global alliance to ensure that no child living with HIV is denied treatment by the end of the decade and to prevent new infant HIV infections.
The new Global Alliance for Ending AIDS in Children by 2030 was announced by leading figures at the International AIDS Conference taking place in Montreal, Canada.
While the Consultations by the alliance have identified four pillars for collective action:
- Closing the treatment gap for pregnant and breastfeeding adolescent girls and women living with HIV and optimizing continuity of treatment;
- Preventing and detecting new HIV infections among pregnant and breastfeeding adolescent girls and women;
- Accessible testing, optimized treatment, and comprehensive care for infants, children, and adolescents exposed to and living with HIV;
- Addressing rights, gender equality, and the social and structural barriers that hinder access to services.
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that attacks the immune system. If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Currently no effective drug.
Journalist : Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Nelia B.
