Children and HIV/AIDS
Independent-on-Line, 20 October 2002, Ex-hostage Terry Waite helps Aids kids, By Jo-Anne Smetherham

They might not have known his history, but the mothers dancing in Groote Schuur's paediatric HIV and Aids clinic knew he was helping them to keep their babies alive.

Terry Waite, who was held hostage by the Hezbollah in in the 1980s, is a patron of the One-to-One Children's Fund, the group funding Groote Schuur's anti-retroviral programme for children.

On Sunday Waite and 34 other members of the fund visited the paediatric HIV and Aids clinic.

They had arrived in Cape Town from London on Sunday and were on their way to the Cedarberg mountains for a week-long hike. They've raised R1-million for the programme in sponsorships for the hike.

"It's very tough when you see how badly children are affected by HIV and Aids. It's very, very distressing for their mothers. Something has to be done," said Waite.

There are 52 HIV-positive children receiving the drugs, and three or four more join the programme every week.

Paul Roux, the doctor in charge of the programme, said there were now sufficient funds for all the children needing the drugs to receive them.