Universal access to HIV testing and prevention of mother-to-child transmission programmes is the most effective way of reducing the numbers of children infected with HIV, conclude authors of a Seminar published in this week's edition of The Lancet.
Author Professor Philip Goulder, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, UK, and colleagues say: "Early testing of exposed infants to diagnose HIV infection before progression to AIDS or death would enable implementation of prophylaxis or treatment, which must be made universally available to those who need it."
The Seminar also discusses the challenges specific to paediatric HIV infection, such as non-specific toxic effects of anti-retroviral treatment in young children, long-term toxic effects of such treatment due to increased duration of therapy into adulthood, and infection occurring before the immune system is fully developed, thus destroying the developing immune system.
The Lancet