ACCESS TO HIV TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN IN LOW AND MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES

That this House notes with deep concern the current challenges children in low and middle income countries have in accessing HIV treatment; further notes that the second Paediatric HIV Rome Conference will take place in December 2018 presenting a critical opportunity for stakeholders to discuss the accelerated development and introduction of priority paediatric formulations of antiretroviral drugs; acknowledges that only 52 per cent of all children living with HIV are on treatment, an unacceptably low number, and that without treatment half of all children living with HIV will die before their second birthday; calls on pharmaceutical companies to fulfil their commitments to completing the research and development process for new HIV drugs for children and ensuring these drugs are affordable and accessible to all who need them; and further calls on the Government to support the creation of new product development partnerships to produce fixed dose combinations of the antiretrovirals we are missing for children and particularly infants.