Give a future for 950 Indian kids living with HIV

Our project is currently working in 8 districts, each with staff and volunteers attached to the local HIV positive persons network. We currently follow up 484 positive children below 18 years of age and another 443 children who are now young adults.15 children were newly identified of which only four are below 4 years of age and all have started ART treatment. 18 were newly brought under follow up.

We helped with 202 medical problems during the year requiring treatment, fever, skin problems and diarrhoea predominated. There were also 16 cases diagnosed with tuberculosis. There are now only seven children refusing treatment for one reason or another. As usual some take their treatment irregularly, we followed up over 100 such cases.

We helped 63 guardians to talk to their wards about their HIV infection and the importance of treatment. 124 children have newly received the government grant as ‘vulnerable children’ and another 289 have received nutritional support, 99 have received educational support. We have given pre-marital counselling to 132 young adults and helped 24 of them to reveal their HIV status to their life partners who were free of HIV. About half of the marriages are to HIV negative partners.

Through the good supervision of our network of volunteers, the standard regimen of anti-retroviral treatment and supportive treatment for other medical problems keeps most of the children healthy. Unfortunately 36 children again have detectable viral levels which puts the kid’s health in danger. 26 have been put on a more rigorous medical regimen known as “second-line” treatment.

However, the drugs are in short supply and it is difficult to persuade the health centres to start the regimen early, before the kids get sick. It is simple, we owe it to these children to do all we can to get the treatment they need and we are eternally grateful to all of you who donate to make that possible.

Thank you so much for your support