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PAEDIATRIC AIDS IN ASIA
Chitsanu Pancharoen, M.D.
Usa Thisyakorn, M.D.
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn
University,
Bangkok 10330, Thailand, Tel. (662) 256-4971, Fax (662) 747-9826.
Correspondence: Dr. Usa Thisyakorn, Professor of Pediatrics,
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn
University, Bangkok 10330 Thailand.
Abstract
The incidence of HIV infection and AIDS amongst children in Asian
countries has risen steadily and has become an increasing cause of
morbidity and mortality during childhood.
More than 90% of all children with HIV infection acquired their
infection at birth from HIV-infected mothers. With increasing
evidence of heterosexual HIV transmission, the number of infected
women and consequently their children is increasing.
Transmission rate of HIV from mother to infant varies from 20 to 40
percent in Asian countries, a higher transmission rate was observed
when the HIV-infected mothers breast-fed their babies. HIV infection
and pediatric AIDS is now threatening much of the progress that has
been made in child survival in Asian countries during the past 20
years.
Children can be affected directly through HIV infection and AIDS and
indirectly by the effects of HIV on their parents which includes
orphans, discrimination, infant abandonment and negative impacts on
children’s education. Another problem of concern is children who are
most vulnerable to HIV infection and AIDS and this includes child
prostitutes and children in difficult circumstances.
Recommendations for action include prevention of parental HIV
infection, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV,
addressing child prostitution, prevention of child labour and
improving work conditions, assistance to street children, addressing
discrimination, solving the problem of children orphaned by AIDS,
reducing HIV-related child abandonment, new roles for schools in
reducing impacts.
What needs to be done cannot be accomplished by any one agency or
group alone. It takes the shared commitment, decision making,
resources and efforts of all sectors of society to achieve the goals
of protecting children from HIV and its effects. The government,
NGOs, businesses and communities including community opinion leaders
and most importantly, people living with HIV and AIDS, all have key
roles to
play in mounting an effective multisectoral response to the problem.
It will also require leadership; the cost of indecision and delay in
acting will be high. Every additional HIV infection not prevented,
every additional child allowed to enter prostitution, every
additional child denied an education by discrimination will increase
the ultimate economic and social cost to the country.
Children are the country’s future, the country’s response to their
problems will give an indication of how highly the country values
its
future.
Keywords: Child HIV infection; child AIDS
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