23 Indian Children Get HIV from Blood Transfusions

At least 23 children with thalassemia, a rare genetic disorder that requires regular transfusions, have tested positive for HIV after receiving tainted blood, Indian officials said today.

The government of Gujarat state has dispatched a team of doctors to the Junagadh district to investigate. Hospital chief G.T. Dayalu said all the children received free blood transfusions at a government-run hospital between January and August.

While news reports quoted state government spokesperson Jai Narayan Vyas as saying many of the children were transfused at more than one hospital, the Indian Express newspaper quoted parents as saying the children had received blood only at the government hospital.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!