Prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission

Prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission

In 2009, 53% of HIV-positive women received antiretroviral drugs to prevent transmission of the virus to their children - a number that has more than doubled since 2006, yet only 26% of the estimated pregnant women living in low- and middle-income countries were tested for HIV in 2009, a 5% increase from 2008.

In Eastern and Southern Africa 68% of HIV-positive pregnant women received antiretrovirals in 2009, a 10% increase from 2008.

In North Africa and the Middle East the number is a scant 3%, up from 2% in 2008. This contrasts sharply to the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region where an estimated 94% of HIV-positive pregnant women received antiretrovirals to prevent mother-to-child transmission.

Twenty-seven low- and middle income countries (of 192 United Nations member states) reached the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS goal of reaching 80% of HIV testing and counselling of all pregnant women, up from 19 countries in 2008.

Paediatric HIV care and treatment

An estimated 2.5 million children under the age of 15 are living with HIV.

Only 28% of the estimated 1.27 million children in need of treatment (according to the revised WHO treatment guidelines) are getting treatment. Without treatment, approximately 50% will die before their second birthday.

Evidence suggests that AIDS-related deaths are at their highest at two to three months of age. While much is being done to implement and scale up early infant diagnosis, testing does not mean getting children onto treatment and keeping them in care.