Babies of asylum seekers are at risk
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Babies are being put at risk of HIV infection because of the government's refusal of milk tokens for asylum seeker mothers.
Asylum seekers to the UK are not
eligible for Income Support and a call for milk tokens to be
provided to prevent HIV transmission has been rejected by the Home Office.
The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) says that mothers with HIV have
little option but to breastfeed their babies because they cannot afford
to buy formula milk. But in doing so the risk of infecting their child
is greatly increased.
Martin Barnes, CPAG director said: "The government's position is
insensitive and callous. Babies are being put at risk simply because their
mothers are asylum seekers.
"The treatment of these mothers and their babies flies in the face
of the government's own public health targets to reduce the number of
children who acquire HIV from their mothers."
Now MPs are taking up the mums' case. Neil Gerrard, chairman of the All
Party
Parliamentary Group on Aids, and 40 other MPs have tabled an Early Day
