Turkmenistan Health Ministry initiates a programme on preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIVAshgabat, Turkmenistan, 6 February 2008 – The United Nations Children’s Fund is assisting the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). The Ministry and UNICEF have organized a workshop for paediatricians, gynaecologists, AIDS Prevention Centre experts, Medical Institute professors and other health specialists on integrating prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV into effective prenatal care. The main objective of the workshop is to strengthen the capacity of national specialists working on prevention of HIV/AIDS to achieve programme excellence. The workshop on PMTCT was conducted by the national facilitators who were trained by an international expert in PMTCT. In future, the workshop participants plan to conduct the cascade training to their colleagues in Ashgabat and velayat health centres, maternity houses and AIDS centres. The interactive workshop exposed participants to critical issues related to PMTCT and how service providers could take actions in preventing both mothers and children from HIV. The workshop reinforced important messages for health professionals, such as a woman’s right to information on protecting herself and her child from HIV; role of service providers in counselling and testing; antenatal care; antiretroviral therapy and treatment of opportunistic infections; safe delivery practices; feeding and elimination of discrimination and stigma against HIV positive women. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission is one of the four focus areas of the campaign “Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS” launched by UNICEF and UNAIDS in 2005 to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS worldwide. The campaign stresses that the national AIDS policies should prioritize prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and that the governments should mobilize and coordinate all sectors of society to ensure a multi-sectoral approach. Governments are also urged to integrate prevention of mother-to-child transmission into maternal, child and reproductive health services as well as linking it to other services such as drug treatment, harm reduction and peer counselling, Baby-Friendly Hospital initiative and youth-friendly health services. For more information please contact: Ayadil Saparbekov UNICEF Health and Nutrition Officer Email: asaparbekov@unicef.org Gulyalek Soltanova UNICEF Communication Officer Phone: +99312 425681/82/86/86 Fax: +99312 420830 Email: gsoltanova@unicef.org Web: http://www.unicef.org/turkmenistan
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