(Reuters) – adolescents in Asia that receive
treatment for HIV are showing early symptoms of
osteoporosis, and children from 5 years are developing
resistance to the drugs against AIDS, said Thursday a
Group of fight against the disease urged to provide more
attention to the issue.
The finding, published the world day of fight against
AIDS, is a reminder that although there are more people in
Asia with access to basic medicines against malaria, the
improved medications are outside the scope and the patients
-adults and children – suffer from attention inadequate.
In Asia, about 160,000 children are infected with the virus of
human immunodeficiency (HIV) that causes AIDS. Of them,
some 57,000 require treatment, but only 30,000 were
at the end of 2008, according to UNICEF.
Asian Fund TREAT scientists found that children
from 5 years are developing resistance to drugs for
AIDS and could soon improved medicines, more precise
faces are not in its scope.
“In our cohort, 14 per cent of children have
“
failed with the first-line drugs (…) “Some of
they are already in the second line have less than 5 years”,
told Reuters Annette Sohn, Director of TREAT Asia, in an
interview call.
If the drugs to treat AIDS are not taken at the time or
with the indicated frequency generate resistance. But in Asia,
resistance is also due to the lack of formulas tailored
to the children.
“All made some mistakes regarding how to handle to the
“”
patients with HIV at the start of the epidemic”, said Sohn. “We use
didn’t have tablets for adults, Pediatric prepared in
our countries”, added.
Sohn said that health experts and providers
drugs have to find ways to manufacture medicines of
third line, more powerful, available for poor children
countries of low resources.
These medicines are available or are subsidized
in rich countries, but are very expensive and at times not be
they are in the Nations in development.
“Unless generate access to third-line drugs,
“
we will find ourselves in a medical room with a patient by
that it is nothing to be done and that we do not have any other
“
medication to give”, said Sohn, paediatric specialist
in children with HIV/AIDS.
A long-term study conducted TREAT about 4,000
under the age of 23 in Asia HIV patients also showed that
a high percentage of teenagers had mineral density
bone down, which is a precursor of osteoporosis.
“That is not normal.” “Children should not have bone mass
down when they are 16 years and that is why the effect of HIV on
their bodies (…) brains, bones and immune system”, said Sohn.
The expert considered that this also should for purposes
toxic to have some medicines for AIDS, such as
tenofovir on the bones.
The study covers Thailand, Viet Nam, Malaysia, Cambodia,
Indonesia and India. TREAT Asia is a network of clinics, hospitals
and research institutions working together to
improve access to treatment for AIDS.
