Close to 1.5 lakh children living with HIV in India have run out of a life-saving drug and a letter has been written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to intervene, The Hindu reported on Monday. 

The letter, written on March 4, is signed by over 600 HIV positive persons, including children between the ages of 3 to 19 years. 

b’According to a recent NACO report, there are an estimated 1,38,456 children below the age of 15, living with HIV in India. | Source: Reutersxc2xa0′

It states that: “the pharmaceutical company Cipla has in various forums cited delay in payments by the national programme for the HIV medicines by several years and even non-payment of its dues in many cases. Profits on child doses of HIV medicines are small and delayed payments are having a chilling effect on the ability of the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) to convince the company to participate in the bids it invited annually.”

Read the complete letter here: 

Letter to PM, Finance Minister over medicine for HIV-positive children by ArunG on Scribd