HIV prevention for children

HIV prevention for children

Prevention of Mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT)

To avoid mother-to-child transmission of HIV, antiretroviral drugs are given to the mother before birth and during labour, to the baby following birth and safer infant feeding is also promoted. This approach can almost eliminate the risk of transmission from mother-to-child. Unfortunately, prevention of mother-to -child transmission (PMTCT) services fail to reach most women in resource-poor countries. In 2009 for example, only around half of HIV-infected pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries received drugs to protect their babies from infection.²⁹ Reasons for this lack of coverage are discussed in our PMTCT worldwide page.

Blood safety

In order to eliminate the risk of a child being infected with HIV in medical settings, either through contaminated needles or blood transfusions, a number of steps can be taken. These include adopting safer injecting practices for injections and screening all donated blood for blood borne viruses.

Pictures drawn by children who are caring for parents living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa.

Read more about blood safety and HIV.

HIV/AIDS education

HIV/AIDS education is an important way of reaching young people with knowledge on sexual health and drug abuse. There are many ways to reach young people: including through school, the media, and peer outreach. Whatever the medium, HIV/AIDS education should not only address the biological facts of HIV and STI transmission and provide information on how to prevent transmission, but it should also take into account the realities of young people’s lives - such as peer pressure or gender inequality.