Government is this year targeting to put at least 8,000 children on pediatric Anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) treatment programme.
Health Minister, Brain Chituwo says currently over 13,000 children are on ARVs adding that the ministry wants to double the number in a bid to ensure that all children who are HIV positive are put on the life-prolonging drugs.
Dr Chituwo told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that the provision of ARVs for children has been made possible with the help of Unit Aid and the Clinton Foundation.
He disclosed that the two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with government to ensure that the drugs are made available and are affordable to the Zambian people.
Dr Chituwo pointed out that the signing of the MOU has ensured that the Zambian Medical Stores has a constant supply of the drugs.
He added that government has since purchased three Polymerize Chain Reaction (PCR) diagnosis laboratory equipment to detect the HIV/AIDS virus in children.
Dr Chituwo noted that in the past it was difficult for the ministry to test children for the virus due to lack of appropriate laboratory equipment for children.
He noted that the PCR equipment is very advanced adding that it is able to test dry blood samples for the virus.
Dr Chituwo said the equipment has been placed at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Kalingalinga clinic as a referral and Arthur Davison Hospital in Ndola.
He however said that government is doing its best to prevent Mother to Child transmission of the HIV/AIDS virus.
ignorance kills! if we screened ALL pregnant moms (by p) & employed PMTC techniques, we could almost eradicate ALL cases of paediatric HIV! but alas, our Govt & stakeholders (Church/NGO) continue to preach “morality” as the panacea for HIV/Aids. This ignorance has led to the stigma that makes poor mothers not get screened in good time. Chi Chituwo, we need more pragmatic steps, not jus bull shitting! We have the means & technology to prevent paediatric HIV, & if we had done this back in the early 90’s, HIV wouldn’t be an issue right now! I think, i give up on my beloved motherland, how can we move forward with neanderthals like these? not too long ago, he alarmed the nation on depo provera!