Mwanza (Tanzania), 17 nov (EFE).-There are more than 12 million AIDS orphans in sub-Saharan Africa and only 1% of the 2.5 million children who suffer this disease in the world receives treatment, the vast majority of which is found in this region – 2.3 million.
Between 40 and 60 per cent of all deaths of children under five in the area they are caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a drama which aim to tackle several international organizations to the embarrassing reality has that in developed countries the vertical transmission mother son, been eradicated completely thanks to the medication.
This adds to the numerous obstacles to provide prevention, care and treatment services for children with AIDS in an area of scarce resources.
To fill this empty, the program Secure the Future of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation has promoted a network of clinics children of excellence (COE) for paediatric HIV care, public-a private partnership with the College of medicine Baylor, the children’s Hospital of Texas and the ministries of health of the different countries where it carries out the initiative.
El doctor Michael Mizwa, of the COE of Bugando, located in Tanzania Mwanza, and that was inaugurated this year, explained to Efe that the purpose of this network is the construction of essential infrastructure to treat those affected and improve the capacity of human resources that serve them.
Today, pointed out
, the initiative unfolds in five COE in Africa and a dispersed network of 10 paediatric centres. Next year will open another hospital in Kisumu (Kenya).
These clinics also organizes a team of professionals, first and foremost to promote sending doctors to Africa and, secondly, trained local pediatricians specializing in HIV.
Each centre provides services directly to approximately 3,000 children and since they served on an outpatient basis to other 20,000 areas surrounding.
“This type of coverage ensures that children are being treated in rural areas”, has clarified the doctor Michael Tolle, who heads the COE of Botswana, with the objective that at least 100,000 receive antiretroviral drugs in 2012.
Under the auspices of this initiative is intended to reach families, because doing the HIV test for children, and in the case that give positive, it is easier to ask the parents that they are submitted to the test.
Maria Jesús Jiménez, specialist in Virology, told Efe that the diagnosis of children represents a “great opportunity” to access the mothers and the development of effective measures to reduce transmission vertical.
In one visit to the Centre of Mwanza, Benard Renovatus in 13 years, he has told Efe its dramatic history, was born with the disease and gradually lost his father, then his mother, then to his adoptive uncle, all of them victims of AIDS, and now resides with another aunt which takes you to the hospital.
Renovatus has confessed that he is “very happy” because it is currently very well and dreams of becoming a pediatrician when is greater. Participates in a club of teenagers with HIV, organized by the clinic, where he received advice and shared with other boys his experience in a group where you do not feel discriminated against.
To the small Rabaju Marima, aged 8, take care you of his grandmother Pili Swale, 62, who has taken care of him after his death his parents by HIV and left alone in the world a baby ill with tuberculosis which seemed to be blind and deaf.
In the Centre, which currently come one once a month after a long journey of six hours, made AIDS test and found that, in addition to being HIV positive, he had an intracranial tuberculoma. Now he looks healthy, you can see and hear, and play with other children as a more.
Shamim Hamisi, aged 14, and his mother, Amina, 49, discovered their pathology following the death of the husband of the latter and both are in treatment. Shamin is the only one of the five sons of amine which has inherited the infection.
Stories all who bring hope to sub-Saharan Africa where AIDS continues to have devastating effects that could tackle radically with initiatives of solidarity as promoted by Secure the Future.
Almudena Domenech
