(Reuters) – adolescents in Asia that receive

treatment for HIV are showing early symptoms of

osteoporosis, and children from 5 years are developing

resistance to the drugs against AIDS, said Thursday a

Group of fight against the disease urged to provide more

attention to the issue.

The finding, published the world day of fight against

AIDS, is a reminder that although there are more people in

Asia with access to basic medicines against malaria, the

improved medications are outside the scope and the patients

-adults and children – suffer from attention inadequate.

In Asia, about 160,000 children are infected with the virus of

human immunodeficiency (HIV) that causes AIDS. Of them,

some 57,000 require treatment, but only 30,000 were

at the end of 2008, according to UNICEF.

Asian Fund TREAT scientists found that children

from 5 years are developing resistance to drugs for

AIDS and could soon improved medicines, more precise

faces are not in its scope.

“In our cohort, 14 per cent of children have

“

failed with the first-line drugs (…) “Some of

they are already in the second line have less than 5 years”,

told Reuters Annette Sohn, Director of TREAT Asia, in an

interview call.

If the drugs to treat AIDS are not taken at the time or

with the indicated frequency generate resistance. But in Asia,

resistance is also due to the lack of formulas tailored

to the children.

“All made some mistakes regarding how to handle to the

“”

patients with HIV at the start of the epidemic”, said Sohn. “We use

didn’t have tablets for adults, Pediatric prepared in

our countries”, added.

Sohn said that health experts and providers

drugs have to find ways to manufacture medicines of

third line, more powerful, available for poor children

countries of low resources.

These medicines are available or are subsidized

in rich countries, but are very expensive and at times not be

they are in the Nations in development.

“Unless generate access to third-line drugs,

“

we will find ourselves in a medical room with a patient by

that it is nothing to be done and that we do not have any other

“

medication to give”, said Sohn, paediatric specialist

in children with HIV/AIDS.

A long-term study conducted TREAT about 4,000

under the age of 23 in Asia HIV patients also showed that

a high percentage of teenagers had mineral density

bone down, which is a precursor of osteoporosis.

“That is not normal.” “Children should not have bone mass

down when they are 16 years and that is why the effect of HIV on

their bodies (…) brains, bones and immune system”, said Sohn.

The expert considered that this also should for purposes

toxic to have some medicines for AIDS, such as

tenofovir on the bones.

The study covers Thailand, Viet Nam, Malaysia, Cambodia,

Indonesia and India. TREAT Asia is a network of clinics, hospitals

and research institutions working together to

improve access to treatment for AIDS.