Children and HIV/AIDS

Prevention of Mother-to-Child transmission (PMTCT)

As in the rest of the world, China's epidemic is spreading from the high risk to the general population, meaning that the percentage of women infected with HIV goes up, as does mother-to-child HIV transmission. In 2005 alone an estimated 1,100 children were infected at birth.

Without preventive interventions, approximately 35 per cent of infants born to HIV-positive mothers contract the virus during pregnancy, childbirth or from breastfeeding.

With comprehensive PMTCT service, the transmission rate can be drastically reduced to less than 3%. UNICEF supported the first PMTCT site in Henan province in as early as 2003, and has worked with the Chinese government on:

developing national guidelines and training health workers on PMTCT services;
ensuring access of all pregnant women in high prevalence areas to testing, counseling and HIV-preventive services;
establishing safe delivery practices, as well as availability and access to antiretroviral drugs for HIV+ mothers and their babies;
providing free voluntary and confidential counseling, testing, implementing appropriate infant feeding in consultation with mothers and providing a continuum of care for HIV positive mothers and their babies; and
Fostering a supportive environment within the family and community for better support of infected mothers and infants.

Español Français

Search:

Email this article