Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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New Vision (Kampala) - August 24, 2007
Conan Businge
Previously, babies could only be tested at the age of 18 months. This was revealed by Mildmay Centre director Dr. Emmanuel Luyirika, during a breakfast meeting at Sheraton Hotel, Kampala on Wednesday.
This will greatly reduce the infant mortality rate, which was partly caused by the failure to test the HIV virus early enough.
"There is a big number of HIV positive mothers in this country, but they are few of them who endeavour to carry out HIV testing of their babies. Several babies die of AIDS before the age of 18 months," Luyirika said.
He added that currently, the infants' testing services are being offered at Mildmay, in conjunction with Mulago Hospital.
Dr. William Musoke of Mildmay Centre, said at four weeks, the tests are done on antigens and not anti-bodies of the infants.
He explained: "Children below 18 months use the antibodies of their mothers and if the mother tests HIV positive, so will the child. It is for this reason, that we test antigens at this age (four weeks), because they can never resemble, those of the infant's mother."
He, however, added that it is important to carry out another test of antibodies at the age of 18 months.
Antibodies are proteins that are found in blood or other bodily fluids of vertebrates and are used by the immune system to identify and neutralise foreign objects, such as bacteria and viruses An antigen is a molecule that stimulates an immune response.
The word originated from the notion that they can stimulate antibody generation.
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