An HIV positive woman and her baby with a co-blister pack of antiretroviral medication
Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) is an issue that directly affects women and at the same time increases the spread of HIV. MTCT occurs when an HIV positive woman passes the virus to her baby during pregnancy, labour and delivery, or breastfeeding. UNAIDS say that at the end of 2007 there were an estimated 2 million children (under 15 years) living with HIV, most of whom were infected by their mothers19. A large number of these children will not live to adulthood.
Although there are drugs that can reduce the chances of a child acquiring HIV from its mother from about 40% to less than 2%, they are unavailable in many parts of the world. In recent years drugs companies have significantly reduced the price of drugs such as nevirapine and AZT, which help to prevent MTCT in developing countries. However, because of limited human resources and poor infrastructures, many women are still not receiving these drugs. See Preventing Mother-to-child Transmission Worldwide for more information
Although there are drugs that can reduce the chances of a child acquiring HIV from its mother from about 40% to less than 2%, they are unavailable in many parts of the world. In recent years drugs companies have significantly reduced the price of drugs such as nevirapine and AZT, which help to prevent MTCT in developing countries. However, because of limited human resources and poor infrastructures, many women are still not receiving these drugs. See Preventing Mother-to-child Transmission Worldwide for more information
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