Sports day heroes show benefits of ARVs

They may not be quite Olympic track quality, but the two little HIV-positive girls who came first and second in the 60m race at their school sports day have surely scored an even bigger triumph.

Just a year ago the girls, both eight and residents of Nazareth House which cares for about 50 children younger than 12 with HIV/AIDS, were coming stone last.

But a year ago these children were not on life-prolonging anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs, the benefits of which were proved beyond doubt when they and several other children walked off with certificates at the recent St Mary's Primary School sports day.

"Last year they weren't just coming stone last. They were still way down the track when the other children were already over the finish line.

"It's completely amazing to see the difference," said British volunteer Michael Crowley, who with his wife Margaret has worked at Nazareth House as the home's first "permanent" volunteers.

Margaret Crowley, a paediatric nurse, works with the infants, while her husband takes care of the 6- to 12-year-olds.

Michael Crowley beams as he speaks of the sports day: "We had one winner, another little girl came second only because she lost her lead when she tripped, and several children came in third and fourth in the races. "We didn't have a single child finish last," he said.

Jane Payne, Nazareth House social worker, said all the children at the home who needed ARVs were being treated in the paediatric HIV/AIDS unit at Groote Schuur Hospital, courtesy of funding by Britain's One-to-One Children's Foundation. Earlier this week, at a function at the hospital, Premier Marthinus van Schalkwyk announced that in the next financial year every child younger than 14 in the province, who needs anti-retroviral treatment, will get it. One-to-One also pledged a further R2.5 million to supplement the provincial efforts.

Dr Paul Roux, head of Groote Schuur's paediatric HIV/AIDS unit, said when the Nazareth House children first started treatment their caregivers reported they seemed much sicker than before.

"It transpires that that was probably because they were getting back their immune function and were better able to fight off infection.

And because they live in the home, with a lot of other children, they naturally encounter a lot of infection.

"But now they've weathered the storm and they're responding excellently," Roux said.

Michael Crowley said the children's sports day success was "a graphic illustration of the success of the programme".

"This amazing physical improvement proves it beyond all doubt," he said.