OneWorld.net (U.S.)

India is fast becoming home to a large number of children affected with HIV/AIDS, but there is hope of a longer life for them, according to a study published in this week’s issue of Lancet, the reputed medical journal.

According to the study conducted by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, US, adequate zinc levels are essential for growth and to enhance immunity in children who test positive for HIV. This makes zinc supplements a safe and effective way of increasing the lifespan of such children. The study is important as very few interventions are available to reduce early death among children suffering from AIDS. It has more significance in a country like India where, according to NACO, children comprise about 5 percent of the total estimated 5.13 million HIV cases. According to the study, zinc cuts the chance of diarrhoea and pneumonia without risking worsening of HIV infection. Diarrhoea is one of the leading causes of death among children with HIV/AIDS as the compromised immunity make them vulnerable to stomach infections.

The study led by Dr William Moss involved 96 children, aged between 6 months and five years, from Grey’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.

Source: The Indian ExpressMore