Ninety percent of mother-to-child-transmission

Mother-baby packs

The recent introduction of UNICEF's "mother-baby packs" could make it easier to bring ARV therapy to infants in remote areas. The comprehensive take-home ARV kits could fill the role of health clinic visits, testing and possible treatment.

Ninety percent of mother-to-child-transmission cases occur in sub-Saharan Africa and the pilot phase of the mother-baby packs is under way.

Ten thousand packs, which cost US$70 each, have been distributed in Kenya and Zambia and 30,000 additional packs will go out in 2011 to expectant HIV-positive mothers in their 14th week of pregnancy. UNICEF has raised $8 million for the pilot project and expects to raise several million more within the next year so the packs will be free.

The packs mark the kind of innovative thinking - and financing - that UN health officials say will be necessary in future.