HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia: - Clinton Health Access Initiatives

STORIES FROM THE FIELDAs a pediatric HIV specialist overseeing 25 health centersthroughout Addis Ababa, Dr. Meseret Gebre certainly has herwork cut out for her. Formerly a Pediatrician at ALERT Hospital—oneof Ethiopia’s foremost centers for pediatric HIV treatment—Dr.Meseret was drawn to helping HIV positive childrenearly on in her medical career, and has played an important rolein the scale up of pediatric HIV treatment in Ethiopia. Takingpride in the progress already made, she was proud to say that“In the beginning, a total of 48 children were on treatment inall the Regional Health Centers combined. Now there are over3,000 on care. The program has really grown.”While Dr. Meseret will be the first to speak to the significanceof ARVs in the treatment of pediatric HIV, she also recognizesthe importance of numerous other components, such as diet,to the health of an infected child. “When we see malnourishedchildren with poor metabolism, often times they won’t be ableto tolerate the medicine. It’s very difficult to treat a child likethat.” Seeing the importance in getting malnourished childrenup to a healthy bodyweight, Dr. Meseret is a strong proponentof Ethiopia’s budding RUTF program. “For acute malnutritionin children over six months of age, I recommend between 1.5and 6 sachets of Plumpy’nut per day,” she remarks, “and oncethey begin treatment, you can see the child develop; you cansee they have more energy.”Once a child reaches an acceptable bodyweight, Dr. Meseretdiscontinues the use of RUTF therapy, but continues to monitorthe child’s weight carefully. In this way, RUTF serves a medicalpurpose for her patients and is not used as a food substitutein otherwise healthy children. Knowing all too well thedeleterious effects that malnourishment can have on children,RUTF has become an integral component in her practice, asshe strives to provide her young patients with the very best intreatment and care.21 CHAI and UNITAID in Ethiopia22