issued new HIV and AIDS guidelines on PMTCT

In July 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued new HIV and AIDS guidelines on PMTCT (preventing mother to child transmission) and on HIV and breastfeeding.¹ For both PMTCT and for infant feeding there are major differences between these 2010 recommendations and the previous guidance issued in 2006.

Under the 2010 guidelines, all HIV positive mothers, identified during pregnancy, should receive a course of antiretroviral drugs to prevent mother to child transmission. All infants born to HIV positive mothers should also receive a course of antiretroviral drugs and should be exclusively breastfed for 6 months and complementary fed for up to a year.

Previous guidelines, issued in 2006, recommended that only women with a low CD4 count should receive a combination of HIV and AIDS drugs to prevent mother to child transmission and all HIV positive mothers were advised to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months and then rapidly wean to avoid transmitting HIV to their infant.²

For infant feeding, where resources are limited, health providers are recommended to continue using the 2006 guidelines.³ For more details about the 2006 guidelines, please see AVERT’s breastfeeding and HIV page.