Children with HIV

This comes after alarming statistics were reported by the National AIDS Council Secretariat (NACS) noting 3,000 newly infected cases in 2017, one quarter of these being young people and children, and a total of 1,500 AIDS-related deaths.

FFI, through its program, identified the main causes of death among these children as; defaulting from treatment and loss to follow up treatment.

FFI highlighted this in its second newsletter released this week, stressing for parent(s) and guardian(s) to take responsibility for their child.

He is the executive officer of Friends Foundation Inc., an organisation that provides assistance to children exposed to and/or those living with HIV.

The foundation has been working closely with the Port Moresby General Hospital’s Paediatric Ward and the Family Support Centre to identify this group of population.

In the last week alone, he says there were 12 new HIV cases reported.

Sadly, most (children) contract the virus from the parent (mother).

But Sitapai says there are those who have contracted HIV through child abuse and sexual abuse.