HIV – MSF asks for more help for children

Geneva / Vienna (APA) – In 2017, only half of HIV-positive children received the necessary medical treatment. Antiretroviral therapy is not possible in many poorer countries because child-friendly versions of these drugs are not available in the country, the MSF (Doctors Without Borders) Foundation announced on Thursday. World AIDS Day (1 December).

According to UNAIDS, 36.9 million people are estimated to be living with HIV / AIDS worldwide in 2017. 21.7 million people have already been treated with antiretroviral therapy. However, this share needs to be increased to 90. In 2017, 1.8 million new infections were registered, and about 940,000 people succumbed to the immunodeficiency syndrome.

According to MSF, the situation is problematic for children. "A year ago, representatives of international health organizations and pharmaceutical companies were committed to providing better medicines for children and young people living with HIV, and since then little progress has been made. been accomplished, "he said in a statement. More investment in developing child-friendly drugs for HIV treatment is needed. HIV in children is still considered neglected.

"For drug companies, HIV-positive children are simply not a priority, so we have to treat our youngest patients with older and suboptimal therapies." To make matters worse, the growing resistance to Many existing anti-HIV drugs in sub-Saharan Africa mean that many older treatments for infants and children are no longer effective.There is an urgent need to improve treatment options, "said MD Maman, Medical Coordinator MSF in Malawi. About 90% of all children living with HIV live in countries of sub-Saharan Africa.

The market for pediatric anti-HIV drugs is small and therefore not a priority for multinational pharmaceutical companies and generics. The development and introduction of new pediatric formulations have been repeatedly postponed, said the organization's help. For example, the dolutegravir drug, recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the primary treatment of choice for infants and children, remains inaccessible to children although it was approved in 2013 for the treatment of adults. Therefore, it is also lacking for children's forms of medicine, for example, preparations in the form of soluble tablets or granules. The WHO recommends using a combination of the active substances lopinavir and ritonavir to dolutegravir. Again, in this case, the pediatric application of this combination is problematic.

"Since HIV-positive children will be treated for the rest of their lives, it is imperative that they have access to the best and most powerful medications available to us," says Jessica Burry, an HIV pharmacist. in the drug campaign of Doctors Without Borders. According to WHO recommendations, all children diagnosed with HIV should start antiretroviral therapy immediately. But it will be difficult without drugs suitable for children.