Early HIV testing and treatment procedures have proved to be life-saving for newborn babies exposed to the virus, a United Nations report said on Monday.

The report, released to coincide with the World AIDS Day, said that diagnosing infants soon after birth and providing a course of medical action can significantly improve their chances of survival.

"Without appropriate treatment, half of children with HIV will die from an HIV-related causes by their second birthday," said the executive director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), Ann M. Veneman. She made the statement in introducing the report on Monday.

"Survival rates are up to 75 percent higher for HIV-positive newborns who are diagnosed and begin treatment within their first 12 weeks," she added. But the report noted that last year fewer than 10 percent of infants born to HIV-positive mothers were tested before they were two months old.

"Today, no infant should have to die of AIDS," said UN World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan.

"We know how to prevent these tragic deaths, but now we need to focus on strengthening our health-care systems to ensure that all mothers and children receive treatment as early as possible," Chan added.

While stressing that AIDS is the most challenging and probably the most devastating infectious disease humanity has ever faced, more than 3 million people in low-and middle-income countries receiving life-prolonging anti-retroviral therapy, she said.

"Such an achievement was unthinkable 20 years ago, when the world was just beginning to comprehend the significance of this disease and its catastrophic impact on individuals, families and societies," she said in a message for World AIDS Day.

Some of the countries hardest hit by HIV/AIDS, such as Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia, have introduced early infant HIV testing, and that some 30 low-and middle-income countries were using dry blood spot filter testing in 2007, up from 17 in 2005, the report said.

Although several countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including Botswana and South Africa, were testing infants as young as six weeks old and treating many those found positive, far too few pregnant women know their HIV status, the report said.

In 2007, only 18 percent of pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries were given an HIV test, and only 12 percent of those who were tested positive went for further screening to determine the stage of HIV disease and type of treatment they require.

"The prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV is not only effective, but also a human right," said the executive director of the Joint UN Program on HIV/AIDS UNAIDS), Peter Piot. "We are seeing good progress in many countries, especially in parts of Africa, but we need to significantly scale up HIV testing and treatment for pregnant women."

In a message marking World AIDS Day, Piot cautioned against complacency, adding that 20 years ago around 10 million people were living with HIV, but since then the epidemic has more than tripled in size, and is still growing. Latest UNAIDS figures estimate that in 2008 around 33 million people are living with HIV and there are 2.7 million new infections.

"For every two people who start taking treatment today, another five become newly infected," Piot said. "So instead of getting shorter, the queues of people requiring anti-retroviral therapy are getting longer."

Some 45 percent of all new infections worldwide occur among young people in the 15 to 24 year-old age group, the report said.

The Children and AIDS report also called for greater protection and care for the 15 million children worldwide who have lost either one or both of their parents due to AIDS.

(Xinhua News Agency December 2, 2008)