Piot, U.K. Official Visit Malawi To Assess HIV/AIDS Programs
UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot and Suma Chakrabarti, permanent secretary of Britain's Department for International Development, on Monday began a three-day visit to Malawi to review HIV/AIDS programs in the country, AFP/Yahoo! News reports (AFP/Yahoo! News, 6/12). Piot and Chakrabarti are expected to meet with government officials and representatives from civil society, the United Nations and donor agencies to discuss the country's response to HIV/AIDS and efforts to achieve universal access to prevention, treatment and care, Susan Muguro, communications officer for the U.N. in Malawi, said (Xinhua/People Daily, 6/13). Mary Shaba, Malawi's permanent secretary for HIV/AIDS and nutrition in the president's office, said the government will appeal for help in purchasing more pediatric formulations of antiretroviral drugs. According to Shaba, up to 26,000 children in Malawi are born HIV-positive annually. Currently, 5% of children living with HIV/AIDS in the country are receiving antiretrovirals, and the country by 2009 is seeking to increase that figure to 15%, according to Shaba. Malawi also is aiming to increase the number of HIV-positive people receiving antiretrovirals at no cost to 70,000 by the end of 2006, according to AFP/Yahoo! News. Currently, 46,000 HIV-positive people in the country are receiving antiretrovirals at no cost. According to AFP/Yahoo! News, 85,000 people in Malawi die from AIDS-related illnesses annually (AFP/Yahoo! News, 6/12).
This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.