As many as 72 healthy babies have been born from HIV-infected women in Chitwan district in the past 18 months.

According to Bharatpur Hospital, of the 77 HIV-infected women who were pregnant during that period, 76 have given birth to healthy babies.

Krishna Hari Sapkota, coordinator of the AIDS Health Care Foundation of Anti Retro Viral Therapy Centre at the hospital, said only two babies were found to be infected with HIV. One woman had miscarriage while three babies died after birth.

A majority of the women who gave birth to the babies were between 22 and 25 years of age.

According to Sapkota, 64 women were taking anti-retro viral medicine since the initial days of their pregnancy.

  The 72 babies were administered Nevirapine, a medicine to treat HIV infection, after their birth. All of them are aged between six months and 18 months. Hospital sources said HIV infected women from Chitwan, Makawanpur, Bara, Tanahun, Lamjung, Dhading and Nawalparasi districts have been visiting the hospital to receive parturition service.