Yonas arrived at an ALERT clinic in Ethiopia – a clinic supported by the Clinton Foundation – on May 2, 2006. He was HIV-positive, small for his one year and nine months, and suffered from severe intestinal problems. His mother, also HIV-positive, had died four months earlier.

Although free, life-saving antiretroviral treatment (ART) was available at the time of her death, Yonas’s mom arrived at the hospital during the last stages of her illness. The doctors suspected Meningitis and HIV and tested her for both. Unfortunately, her illness was too far along, and she died before her test results even arrived at the clinic. Because Yonas’s mother was unaware of her HIV status, she had been breast-feeding Yonas up until the time of her death.

Dr. Solomie, the pediatrician at the ALERT examined Yonas, treated him for diarrhea, and started him on ART. Although most children are under follow-up for some time before starting ART, Yonas had a CD4 count of 622. The severe immunodeficiency threshold for his age is 750 and Yonas was well below it.

Within the third week of ART initiation however, Yonas’s body started to swell and he refused to eat. In addition, he was vomiting and also had a fever. Dr. Solomie referred Yonas to Zewditu Memorial Hospital because a pediatric inpatient ward does not yet exist at ALERT.

The doctors at Zewditu found Yonas to have severe malnutrition and mild liver toxicity as a result of nevirapine, one of the ART drugs. He was treated there and returned a few weeks later for follow-up at ALERT.

Yonas was a radically transformed child upon his return. He was playful, with a wide and healthy smile. He was eating well and had gained weight.

Today, Yonas continues to do well and is being seen regularly by his pediatrician at ALERT. He lives with his father, who is actively involved in Yonas’s life and health. After Yonas’s mother’s death, his father was also tested and found to be HIV positive. Fortunately, he has also been able to access free ART at the ALERT adult clinic around the corner and is doing very well.

The nurse at the ART clinic describes Yonas as having “returned from his death bed.” Few people, including his family, had hopes that he would make it. Yonas is now one of the most healthy and well-developed children being seen at the clinic. He draws, babbles, calls his father “Ababa” and is a bright and happy child.