What is the current standard of care for HIV-infected infants in South Africa?
Currently, HIV-exposed infants in South Africa are offered co-trimoxazole for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) prophylaxis started at four to six weeks, free formula for six months if requested by the mother, and diagnostic Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) HIV testing beginning at six weeks of age. ARV therapy is offered to HIV-infected children with prolonged or recurrent hospitalization, those children classified with WHO clinical stage 3 or 4 disease, or those with CD4 cell percentages below 20 percent if under 18 months of age. For additional information, the South African pediatric treatment guidelines are available at: www.doh.gov.za/docs/index.html and the WHO document, “Antiretroviral Therapy of HIV Infection in Infants and Children in Resource-Limited Settings: Towards Universal Access, Recommendations for a Public Health Approach”, is available at: http://www.who.int/hiv/pub/guidelines/paediatric020907.pdf. 10. What is the possible impact of these new findings on the manag
