Clinton Says Foundation Plans To Expand Programs To Treat 60,000 HIV-Positive Children Next Year

The Clinton Foundation hopes to treat more than 60,000 HIV-positive children in developing countries next year, former President Clinton said on Sunday at a children's hospital in Maputo, Mozambique, where he kicked off his weeklong tour of six African nations, Reuters reports (Reuters, 7/18). Clinton in April announced that the foundation's HIV/AIDS Initiative plans to spend about $2 million on pediatric antiretroviral drugs for 10,000 children and will provide $3 million to clinics in 10 countries, primarily in rural Africa, where local doctors can be trained to treat children (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 4/12). "We hope to add another 50,000 children next year. We think that at the end of next year we will have about 60 countries buying medicines through my contract, and we are negotiating to try to add more producers to it," Clinton said on Sunday (Reuters, 7/18). Irish Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Development and Human Rights Conor Lenihan, who is leading an Irish delegation to Mozambique that coincides with Clinton's visit, commended the Mozambican government for its leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Through a July 2003 agreement that established a collaborative effort between the Clinton Foundation and Development Cooperation Ireland, Ireland will grant $15 million to Mozambique in 2006 for health and HIV/AIDS programs (Clinton Foundation release, 7/16). Clinton on Monday is scheduled to dedicate a new pediatric HIV/AIDS clinic in Maseru, Lesotho (Clinton Foundation release, 7/17). Clinton also plans to travel to South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda (VOA News, 7/17).