Group needs funds to help HIV-positive children

Star: PENANG: The Malaysian AIDS Foundation needs RM500,000 a year to provide assistance for HIV-positive children under its Paediatric Aid Scheme.
Currently, it can only provide RM200,000 in transportation and additional allowances a year for 200 children from poor households, said its chairman Prof Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman.
“Every year we receive new applications from poor households that have HIV positive children. But we have to turn some of them away because of financial constraints,'' she added.
She said the transportation for sending children for regular treatment and additional allowances would help ease the burden of the poor families.
Each child is given RM80 a month.
Dr Adeeba said this at the Dell Champion Road Run/Walk event here, which was flagged off by Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.
Dell raised RM80,000 for the foundation. About 1,200 Dell employees and their families participated in the 5km run from the Esplanade to various streets in George Town.
Dell Asia-Pacific vice president Simon Wong said the donation drive was in aid of poor children who were HIV positive.
“We are committed to educate our employees and the community about HIV/AIDS,” he added.