Maputo — By September 2018, Mozambique had expanded to 63 the number of health units with independent testing, under the project for Early Infant Diagnosis, which seeks to ensure that HIV-positive children start anti-retroviral treatment in due time, thus allowing them to live long and healthy lives.

This advance was revealed on Tuesday at a meeting in Maputo to announce the results of Early Infant Diagnosis, under the "Free to Shine" campaign. This campaign was begun by the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) and the African Union, and is aimed at eliminating childhood AIDS.

Chairing the opening session, Health Minister Nazira Abdula said the results so far from Early Infant Diagnosis were unequivocal proof of the efforts undertaken by the government and its partners, seeking to improve access to HIV diagnosis for children, among infants born to HIV-positive mothers.

"When the 'Free to Shine' campaign was launched", said the Minister, "there was a commitment to work with all the stakeholders to improve access to diagnosis and to anti-retroviral treatment".

Challenges remain, she said, to guarantee that all children born of HIV-positive mothers have access to early diagnosis and, if that is positive, to treatment. Abdula added that during implementation of Early Infant Diagnosis, 27,256 children were tested.

In Mozambique an estimated 175,000 children (from zero to 14 years of age) are living with HIV, of whom 50 per cent are undergoing treatment and 45 per cent had access to Early Infant Diagnosis, according to data from the Elizabeth Glazer Paediatric AIDS Foundation.

"The numbers we have presented show that we are on a good path in fighting against HIV-AIDS in children, and so we must remain focused in this struggle", Abdula stressed.

The "Free to Shine" campaign has involved such initiatives as making pregnant women and lactating mothers aware of the available mother and child health services, fighting against child marriages and gender-based violence, and dialogue with community and religious leaders so that they too will persuade pregnant women to use the health services.

The key goal of the programme is to diagnose HV in children at an initial stage, thus allowing timely treatment. The equipment used allows the results of the diagnosis to be given on the same day, less than an hour after a sample of the child's blood has been taken. Anti-retroviral treatment can then begin as soon as possible.