Standing on shoulders – A brief tribute

Liquid antiretrovirals, formulated for children too young to swallow pills.


I am not a laboratory scientist. I did not painstakingly develop AZT, 3TC, d4T, nevaripine, and the other antiretrovirals that keep HIV-positive children alive.

I am not a clinical researcher. I did not keenly design costly, intricate clinical trials to ensure the safety and efficacy of these drugs.

I am not a visionary. I did not partner with a multimillion dollar pharmaceutical company to ensure that these drugs would be available at or below cost in Africa, where they could save tens of thousands of young lives.

I am but a pediatrician and amateur blogger. I examine sick kids, give them medicines, and when able share a bit about my experiences.

This past week alone, thanks to the people above, our clinic here in Swaziland was able to offer hundreds of children life-saving HIV treatment at no cost. Around Africa, other clinics like ours are doing the same.

Without these individuals, these children would die.

For this reason, this pediatrician/amateur blogger would like to say, “Thank you. For what it is worth, thank you very much.”