HIV (Human Hmmunodeficiency Virus )Â positive children who until now were being administered the same drugs as adults, are being given separate medicines supplied by the National AIDS Control Society, according to Supriya Sahu, Project Director, Tamil Nadu State AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)Â Control Society.
At present, tablets administered to elders were being given to the children also, but in lesser quantities and dosage. And now, tablets and syrups with paediatric formulation have been prepared that would be easier and convenient for doctors to administer to children.
Ms. Sahu was quick to caution that it was a difficult task to locate all the HIV positive children in the State. At present, only 600 HIV positive children were being given the drugs at the various ART centres. She was talking to reporters during a function at the Training Centre of the Government Hospital of Thoracic Medicine in Tambaram Sanatorium on Thursday. She distributed certificates to 11 doctors who completed a one-year clinical leadership training programme.
Stating that a drive to identify more HIV positive children was already on, Ms. Sahu said their number could be around 2,000. Parents could bring their children to the six CD4 testing centres at Tambaram, Government General Hospital in Chennai, Tiruchi, Madurai, Tirunelveli and Thanjavur and conduct a test.
The government planned to start more such centres in different parts of the State, she said. On how they planned to spend the Rs. 68 crore allotted to Tamil Nadu by the Centre, Rs. 23 crore of which has already been sanctioned, the official said the amount would be used for various schemes under their education, prevention, care and support programmes, that included education of children at schools and those in colleges through the Red Ribbon Clubs apart from self-help groups.
