Better Global Hiv Treatment Fails to Reach Children

Two million people in poor countries are now being kept alive by Aids drugs, but children still lose out and more money will be needed to reach all those in need, according to a UN report.

The report from UN-Aids and the World Health Organisation says there has been a 54% rise in those treated over the last year. In sub-Saharan Africa, the worst-hit region, 1.3 million are now on antiretroviral drugs, which represents coverage of 28% compared with 2% in 2003. But there are major variations. In Botswana, which has been a major target for help from President Bush, 79% of those in need receive treatment. That figure falls to 33% in Malawi, 18% in South Africa - which has more cases than any other country - and 10% in Nigeria. But the overall figure for children is low. They represent 15% of Aids deaths worldwide, but only 6% of those are receiving drugs.

"We're not doing that great with injecting drug users and children," said Kevin De Cock, head of the WHO's HIV/Aids department. Diagnosis of children is difficult, he added, and children are not often tested for HIV. Programmes to prevent pregnant women passing HIV to their babies have not gone well, he said.

Michel Sidibe, deputy director of UN-Aids, said that to achieve the G8 goal of universal access to treatment by 2010, at least $20bn (£10bn) of funding would be needed. "Today we are talking about $8bn," he said.