More than half a billion infants world over suffer from HIV infection for their umbilical connection with their mother. HIV infected pregnant women pass on the same to the fetus in their womb. The baby once born goes through all the pangs related to AIDS without any fault of his own. However, a new research brings life for such kids. According to the study, those HIV-infected infants who receive treatment in the first few weeks of their birth survive fighting their ailment.
The incidence of mothers passing HIV to the baby in their womb is very high and chances of survival of the infant after birth are rare, however, if he/ she receives antiretroviral drugs within a week after birth will have a better survival rate than any other kid treated after being found ill for HIV positive.
The study promises a better survival rate for HIV infants and also demands alterations in the World Health Organization’s guidelines that necessitate treatment for newborns only if they show a weakened immune system. Instant treatment may create a better possibility of survival than the recognized practice of administering drugs after the signs of HIV infection appear.
But, I am yet to be convinced about the efficacy of the report. In Africa and Asia, thousands of infants die of HIV infection for lack of medication and public awareness. In the developing and under-developed world, AIDS is a taboo. There are instances where newborn babies were either killed or abandoned by their HIV infected parents. In hospitals of Libya and many other Afro-Asian countries, there are evidences of HIV infection to the children simply because of unhygienic conditions and lack of HIV awareness among the medical practitioners.
What we need is to implement the research findings throughout the world in a balanced manner, so that people living in any corner of the world, whether Africa, Asia, or Europe, can get a fair chance of health to fight the HIV infection.
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