The African Business Journal: Tackling AIDS in new-borns  

Tackling AIDS in new-borns
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John Pinching on 27 January, 2012 07:04:00
 
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.”