34 per cent kids of HIV moms are not tested till 18 months

A National AIDS Control Organisation (Naco) report has revealed that only 66 per cent of children of HIV positive mothers are tested till 18 months while 23 per cent of such vulnerable babies become untraceable and the remaining 11 per cent die before attaining 18 months of age. The report was published after Naco officials in Maharashtra studied around 11,000 HIV positive mothers along with their newborn babies.
As per Naco, it is mandatory to do all necessary tests till 18 months to find out if the baby of an HIV positive mother is HIV positive or not. According to experts, delay in providing treatment may lead to deterioration in health of the child which can lead to its death.