Strategies for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Over 90 per cent of paediatric HIV infections are maternally acquired, most of these in sub-Saharan Africa. Mortality trends underscore the humanitarian and ethical obligation for urgent global action to protect children from HIV. With the adoption of anti-retroviral therapy in pregnancy, mother-to-child transmission rates have declined to 4-6 per cent in the USA and other industrialised countries. In low-resource settings, where most of the children are continuously being exposed to HIV, the cost of anti-retroviral therapy is prohibitive. Very few developing countries apart from Botswana, Thailand and Brazil have national policies for integration of preventive anti-retroviral therapy in antenatal clinics. This paper reviews anti-retroviral and non-anti-retroviral interventions for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. To support the health of mothers as well, it supports the implementation of a comprehensive package of care in pregnancy and post-partum, such as access to antenatal and delivery services; anti-retroviral preventive therapy; malaria treatment; family planning; multivitamin, iron and folate supplementation; counselling on feeding options; post-natal care for the child and post-partum care for the mother, and calls for a strategy for advocacy, programme communication and community mobilisation.
Luo
C
C
cluo@unicef.org
D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002585:Cesarean Section; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000151:congenital / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006284:Health Plan Implementation; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology*
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents