Bill Clinton Foundation Launches Cheap HIV Drugs Deal For Kids In India

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and former US President Bill Clinton launched the first ever National Paediatric HIV/AIDS Initiative in New Delhi.

Ten thousand children living with HIV/AIDS across the country are expected to benefit from the Initiative.

Gandhi and Clinton toured Kalavati Saran Children's Hospital - the first centre to offer free anti-retroviral therapy (ART) for children and handed over a protocol booklet for administering the treatment to in-charge Dr A K Dutta.

The function was attended by Union Health Minister A Ramadoss among others.

The Clinton HIV/AIDS Foundation is providing drugs for 10,000 children free of cost.

"Even as many countries make progress in combating HIV/AIDS, children are being left behind," Clinton said.

He added that his foundation has focused on treatment for children and is committed to treat 1,00,000 minors worldwide by the end of next year.

"This is a great day but we have a long way to go," he said adding every child should have access to anti-AIDS drugs.

Terming the initiative as the "most important step forward", Gandhi said there are a number of populous states where prevalence of the disease is low. "But care should be taken as these are most vulnerable."

"Social ostracism is still prevalent," she said and added that there was a need to remove the stigma associated with the disease so that more people can be treated.

Under the initiative there will be 36 Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) Centres and seven registered paediatrics centers where free CD-4 count monitoring, a test for HIV/AIDS, till the age of 15 years will be done.