Nicolae Ștefănuță· Verts/ALE

Overestimated

At the beginning of the 1990s, 14,000 babies were infected with HIV through nosocomial transmission in hospitals.

Omissions

• The commonly cited figure is approximately 11,000 children infected, not 14,000
• The 14,000 figure may be confused with the number of children in Romanian orphanages (a figure mentioned in contemporary reports)
• The infections occurred primarily between 1986 and 1990, affecting children in institutional care
• By mid-2002, official Romanian registry data showed 9,936 children with HIV/AIDS, of which 11,000 is considered the total cohort of pediatric nosocomial infections from that period
• The epidemic was caused by poor medical practices including reuse of needles, microtransfusions, and lack of sterilization in pediatric and obstetric hospitals

Sources

• PrimaryCNLAS (Romanian National Commission for Fight against AIDS) - HIV/AIDS evolution in Romania 1985-2003During 1999-2003, 737 children were reported to be nosocomial infected, all these children being born between 1986-1990. The total pediatric cohort from the early 1990s epidemic is approximately 11,000 cases.
• AcademicPMC - Pediatric AIDS in Romania – A Country Faces Its EpidemicIn mid-2002, 12,559 cases of HIV were registered in Romania (9,936 in children), representing the cohort of pediatric nosocomial infections primarily from 1986-1990
• SecondaryOpen Society Foundations - Legacy of ShameAs many as 11,000 children were infected with HIV in the late 1980s and early '90s
• SecondaryNew York Times - Evolution in Europe; Fight Against AIDS Lags in RomaniaGovernment statistics now put the number of children in orphanages in Romania at 14,000 - this refers to orphanage population, not HIV infections