Fight to Prevent
Mother to Child Transmission to be boosted
by national drive
Georgetown, GINA, Wednesday, August 27, 2003
The Ministry of Health is about to embark on
a national campaign to enhance its Prevention of Mother-To-Child
Transmission (PMTCT) of the HIV/AIDS virus. The national programme
would be launched on September 3, 2003 at the West Demerara Regional
Hospital.
At a workshop of Programme Heads and Regional Health Officers
at the Ocean View Convention Centre today, Dr. Jomo Osborne said
that it is the intention of the Health Ministry and the goal of
the programme to reduce the transmission of HIV from mothers to
children by 50% at the end of 2003. He said that it may seem ambitious
but it is achievable.
A pilot programme which started in November 2001 and involving
the participation of about ten health centres were being run and
the findings of that programme are being used in the establishment
of a national campaign. The programme concluded in December 2002,
but the Ministry of Health official explained that the process
is ongoing.
Dr. Osborne said most of the children worldwide, under the age
of fifteen and infected by HIV/AIDS, were infected through mother-to-child
transmission. Mother-to-child transmission of the disease occurs
through, breast-feeding, during pregnancy or during labour and
delivery.
Worldwide, approximately 35 percent of babies born to HIV/AIDS
infected mothers contract the disease when there is no intervention.
Dr. Osborne added that with intervention by health authorities,
the percentage decreases to 10 percent, representing a 71 percent
reduction of transmission when there is intervention. He further
noted that of the estimated 20,000 mothers who deliver babies
every year, an average of 1,500 are HIV/AIDS-infected.
Dr. Osborne further stated that a large number of young people
with the approximate age of 15 (boys and girls) are sexually active
and those already infected through mother-to-child transmission,
can further multiply the problem.
He stated that ultimately the PMTCT programme is a maternal health
programme and another important aspect of the programme is that
all mothers who come to anti-natal centre and birthing centres,
receive pre and post-test counseling. He opined that the HIV testing
would now become routine, preferably optional and not mandatory.
Mothers of young babies will be discouraged from breast-feeding
their children and a breast milk substitute will be prescribed
as part of the programme.
Guyana and Haiti are two Caribbean countries that have been included
in the United States President, George Bush’s US$14B health
plan for Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
TOP
Wednesday,
August 27, 2003