Tackling AIDS in new-borns
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TABJ – Jan 27 - Business and social media leaders have joined forces to tackle the transmission of HIV from mothers to their babies with the intention of eliminating these HIV-infected births by 2015.
Antiretroviral drugs prevent the virus spreading to unborn babies, and John Megrue—CEO of Apax Partners U.S.—will chair a group of bankers and consulting experts who will fund and organise the drug distribution.
“There are no technical issues around it. There are no medical issues around it. It does not exist in the wealthy part of the world,” Megrue said.
“But there are still almost 400,000 children a year born – primarily in sub-Saharan Africa – with HIV.”
Randi Zuckerberg, founder of RtoZ Studios and sister to the prodigal creator of Facebook, has said she will use her social media contacts to increase awareness of the issue, and already has 1,000 influential Twitter and Facebook users likely to get involved with the cause.
“I’m calling this a social good broadcast experiment,” Zuckerberg said.
“The long-term vision is for this to be a group of thousands or millions of people who can all broadcast in a coordinated manner where there is a global crisis.”
Despite objectives to eradicate the disease in new-borns by 2015, the reality is that 13 per cent of babies born to HIV-positive mothers will unavoidably be affected.
Cynthia Carroll, CEO of mining company Anglo American Plc. and one of the many business leaders involved in the campaign, said: “AIDS should not be a disease of children.”
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