|
| ||||||
MEDIA CENTER Massive Increase in Services Needed for Pregnant Women to Stop Virus Being Passed to Children ABUJA, NIGERIA AND NEW YORK (30 November 2005) — Over 600,000 children acquire HIV every year, the vast majority of them simply because they are born to mothers infected with the HIV virus. That number could be cut by more than half if pregnant women living with HIV received antiretroviral drugs before or during delivery, but less than 10 percent of women who need this treatment are getting it. On World AIDS Day, UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA, UNAIDS, and other key partners* in the battle against AIDS are coming together to push for far greater access to preventive services for pregnant women living with HIV. The High-level Partners Forum on Prevention of Mother-to-child Transmission, convening 1 December in Abuja, Nigeria, aims to jump-start efforts toward achieving the global target of 80 percent of pregnant women in need of services being reached by 2010. At the current rate of progress, this target—set by the United Nations at the General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS in 2001—will not be met. “Hundreds of thousands of children are needlessly born with HIV every year. Many of these children die in the first year of life. Yet effective interventions for stopping this loss of life and human potential exist,” said UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman. “We can make a huge impact on the burden of HIV in children by providing these therapies to everyone who needs them.” In 1998, an Interagency Task Team comprising UNICEF, WHO, UNAIDS, and UNFPA initiated the first pilot projects to demonstrate the feasibility of mother-to-child-transmission (PMTCT) programs in 11 high-burden countries in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. Since then, significant progress has been made. Over 100 countries have implemented PMTCT programs, 16 of which offer services nationwide. However, most of the worst-affected countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, continue to suffer from extremely low rates of service coverage. Of the 11 original pilot countries, only Botswana has achieved national coverage with at least 50 percent of HIV-positive pregnant women receiving services by the end of 2004. The biggest challenges to expanding PMTCT services in resource-poor settings are weak health systems and a shortage of health care workers and supplies. In addition, communities have not been adequately involved in supporting program implementation. The PMTCT High-level Partners Forum will bring together 140 experts from international organizations and delegations from 27 countries to share best practices and define future directions for accelerating expansion of coverage in those countries that most need it. The forum will also share the latest science on the effectiveness of different delivery approaches and the efficacy of antiretroviral drugs in reducing the transmission of HIV, as well as the feasibility of providing long-term antiretroviral treatment to keep mothers healthy. Funding for AIDS from donor governments has increased significantly in recent years. However, children have yet to receive their fair share. One key recommendation to donor governments will be to earmark AIDS funding specifically for programs aimed at children, such as PMTCT. Following the meeting, technical assistance will be provided to governments to formulate national plans of action. Governments will be encouraged to integrate PMTCT treatment into routine family and child health services. Expanding access to PMTCT services is one of the four pillars of the “Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS” campaign, launched by UNICEF, UNAIDS, and partners on 25 October, with the ultimate goal of an HIV-free generation. Progress on the other pillars—primary prevention, pediatric treatment, and protection of children affected by AIDS—are also vital to reversing the impact of the disease. * World Bank, CDC, USAID, Columbia University, EGPAF, FHI, Population Council/Horizons, AED/Linkages, Catholic Medical Mission Board
|
