AIDS medicine for kids scarce
11/8/2006 11:04
China badly needs AIDS drugs specifically made for children, child health
experts said.
Most young HIV carriers in China either have to take adult
drugs or receive no treatment at all, the experts said.
"Many Chinese
children living with HIV/AIDS have no access to suitable drugs," said Li Qimin,
vice director of China's National Committee for the Care of Children at an
ongoing Beijing summer camp for kids affected by AIDS.
"Many kids react
strongly to adult formulations, vomiting or becoming feverish," Li
said.
China's official statistics put the number of child HIV sufferers
at 1,535, but health experts estimate that the real number of infected children
is more than 9,000, said Xu Wenqing, a health official with UNICEF
China.
"Drugs are crucial to guarantee these kids survive," Xu said,
adding that pediatric AIDS drugs, all imported from overseas, are in short
supply in China.
Last year, the US Clinton Foundation provided China with
a first batch of pediatric drugs to fight HIV/AIDS. About 250 children in
provinces hard-hit by AIDS, such as Henan and Yunnan, benefited.
Dr
Christian Voumard, chair of the United Nations AIDS Theme Group and UNICEF
Representative, said the initiative was a "significant success," but admitted
many children are still given less suitable adult formulations. Some have no
access to life-saving drugs.
Xu said she knew of kids living without
drugs since local doctors were unsure kids could tolerate adult
formulations.
Xinhua news
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