Free treatment for children with HIV

Children under the age of 10 years infected with HIV will receive free treatment under a programme mounted by Benin’s government to make antiretroviral drugs accessible to HIV-infected people, PANA reported on Thursday. All other HIV-patients will be charged between FCFA 1,000 (US $1.43) and FCFA 20,000 (US $28.60) per month instead of the current 300,000 F CFA (US $420.00). The coordinator of the National AIDS Programme, Severin Anagonou, said the the initiative had two goals. It aims to ensure access to treatment through anti-retroviral drugs for HIV-infected patients and to improve the management of opportunistic infections among patients who are not eligible for antiretroviral treatment. Eligibility is determined by a number of factors, including clinical and biological data and socio-economic evaluation, PANA reported Anagonou as saying. The International Therapeutic Solidarity Fund finances 80 percent of the programme and Benin’s government provides the remaining 20 percent. The programme will start in Cotonou before extending to other parts of the country, depending on its results and the AIDS situation in those areas, PANA reported the AIDS coodinator as saying. It is estimated that 70,000 people in Benin are living with HIV.