AN average of 700 children are contracting HIV infections each day in Africa while very few had access to anti-retroviral therapy (ART), Buhera North MP William Mutomba (Zanu PF), who is a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, told local parliamentarians last week.
VENERANDA LANGA SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER
Mutomba said it was imperative for Parliaments in Africa and the world over to play a key role to ensure that children had equal access to HIV therapy like the adult population.
The legislator is one of the local MPs who attended the 130th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union held in Geneva, Switzerland, in March.
“The Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric Aids Foundation and the Inter-Parliamentary Union hosted an event for parliamentarians from around the world to discuss the importance of ensuring access to treatment for children living with HIV and statistics show that more than 700 children a day acquire HIV and the rate of new infections in children is particularly high in sub-Saharan Africa,” Mutomba said.
“While they carry a huge burden of disease, children are accessing treatment at only about half the rate of adults.”
He added that according to researchers, only 34% of children had access to HIV treatment as compared to 64% of the infected adult population who were already on ART.
“Parliaments and experts on pediatric HIV treatment should discuss the best methods to ensure increased access to HIV treatment by children. This is a serious issue and should be followed up by member countries including Zimbabwe.”
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According to World Health Organisation statistics of 2011, about 3,4 million children were living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa with most of them acquiring the virus from their infected mothers during pregnancy, birth or breast feeding.
Recently, Bulawayo East MP Thabitha Khumalo (MDC-T), who sits on the Sadc Parliamentary Forum on HIV and Aids, said some children were being infected with the HIV virus by rapists who were falsely advised by traditional healers that raping minors was a cure for the virus.
“Can I put it on record that sleeping with young children does not cure Aids — and it never will. Everybody who is infected must go to the regime of anti-retroviral treatment. Please do not spread the virus to those that are not your peers,” Khumalo said in Parliament.
