About 130,000 fewer children in sub-Saharan Africa contracted HIV in 2012 than in 2009, the U.N. AIDS program said in a report released June 25.
In a concerted effort to eliminate new HIV infections in children by 2015, seven of 21 “priority” countries have cut the HIV-infection rate in children by 50 percent or more since 2009.
Many countries are finding success as they improve HIV education and counseling as well as access to antiretroviral drugs for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. An infected mother who receives regular treatment during pregnancy or while breastfeeding has a good chance of raising a healthy child.
Here’s how well the seven top countries reduced child-HIV rates between 2009 and 2012:
- Ghana: 76% decrease
- South Africa: 63%
- Namibia: 58%
- Botswana: 52%
- Malawi: 52%
- Zambia: 51%
- Ethiopia: 50%
This is good news because it shows efforts are working, said Gloria Ekpo, World Vision’s HIV and AIDS specialist.
Of the countries on the list, World Vision works to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Ghana, South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, and Ethiopia.
“We believe that all our pregnant women should have access to care,” she said.
More than 90 percent of children who contract HIV get it from their infected mother while in the womb, during birth, or while breastfeeding. That’s why World Vision’s efforts focus on helping pregnant women with HIV understand their situation and get the treatment they need. It not only helps them rejuvenate their health, but it protects their babies from contracting the disease.
World Vision partners with governments to influence healthcare policy, with schools to promote HIV and AIDS awareness, with community care providers to maintain relationships and monitor care, and with church leaders to reduce stigma and help lead a community response in caring for those suffering from the disease.
Services and drugs are available, and they work, according to the UNAIDS findings.
But challenges are formidable, like funding for drugs and health staff, health workers’ ability to identify all infected pregnant women and children in their area, and a community’s access to clinic services.
The key to maintaining momentum toward eradicating child-HIV infections, Gloria says, is bringing medical and educational services closer to communities in need and ensuring patients receive consistent care.
“If we know that one thing works well, we celebrate that,” she says. “[Ultimately], reinforcing prevention messaging is really key.”
