Malawi: Antenatal Access Key to Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV

Friday, March 21, 2014

Malawi is leading the developing world in the Option B+ approach to preventing transmission of HIV from mothers to their children. Option B+ provides lifelong HIV medication to all HIV-positive pregnant and breastfeeding women.

In 2010, UNAIDS released a Global Plan towards the elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015. This aims to reduce the rate of transmission of HIV from an infected mother to her child to less than 5% and to reduce infection among young children by 90%.

Closer to virtual elimination

Mchinji, a district which borders Zambia, has an estimated population of 549,000 and a 9.8% HIV prevalence. Around 15,400 people have registered to receive antiretroviral drugs since 2004.

Source: All Africa (link opens in a new window)

Categories
Health Care
Tags
reproductive health