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Mother-to-child HIV transmission significantly down

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Picture: Hongqi Zhang
Picture: Hongqi Zhang

South Africa has made giant strides in the prevention of HIV transmission from mother to child.

Latest official statistics show that the country has reduced mother-to-child transmission from 8.5% in 2008 to 1.5% currently.

This is significant progress, said Health Minister Aaron Motsoledi. But he said his vision was to eliminate HIV transmission from mother to child in the next few years.

Motsoaledi was speaking at the 21st international Aids Conference in Durban today.

He said he was envious of the four countries – Thailand, Belarus, Armenia and the Republic of Moldova – which received their validation for having eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis. The countries received the clearance from the World Health Organisation (WHO) last month, making Thailand the first country in Asia to receive such validation.

Motsoaledi suggested that pressure was mounting on him and South Africa to eliminate HIV transmission from mother to child following the clearance of the four countries by the WHO.

“After these four countries received the validation certificates, there were whispers in the corridors of power that they were expecting on the African continent for South Africa to be the first country to receive the certificate of clearance,” he said.

“So now I have the ambition to eliminate mother to child transmission.”

United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) executive director Anthony Lake said South Africa could receive the clearance if it continued with its efforts in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

He praised Motsoaledi and the current administration for taking the bull by its horns.

“South Africa’s PMTCT (prevention of mother-to-child transmission) is an inspiring model for countries travelling the same path,” he said.

“This country has achieved nearly universal antenatal HIV testing. There has also been a dramatic drop in child infection.”

“South Africa is finding new ways of reaching these lives in programmes such as test and treat and mom-connect. These efforts inspire us all to do more and to do it throughout the life circle of the vulnerable people,” he said.

While Lake heaped praise on South Africa’s efforts in ensuring that pregnant HIV-positive mothers do not transmit the virus to their babies, he said the war against mother-to-child transmission is not over. He warned against complacency.

As part of strengthening its efforts in preventing mother to child transmission, the national health department has launched the “last mile plan”. The programme is aimed at putting more resources in districts that have the highest paediatric HIV burden.

Motsoaledi said data in their possession shows that 60% of the paediatric HIV infections come from 14 districts in the country.

“In South Africa we have 52 districts; this means that 60% of the paediatric HIV infections come from 27% of all the districts. If we can concentrate there, that would mean we are solving 60% of the problem,” he said.

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