Other nations in the world can learn from Cuba, which today became the first country to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, according to the World Health Organization, which validated Cuba through a detailed process.
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“Eliminating transmission of a virus is one of the greatest public health achievements possible”, said Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General in a press release.
Each year, 1.4 million women living with HIV around the world become pregnant.
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 30 2015 (IPS) – In 2013, an estimated 240,000 children were born with HIV. Comparably, around 1 million women with syphilis become pregnant, according to the WHO. However, simple, cost-effective screening and treatment options during pregnancy, such as penicillin, can eliminate most of these complications.
In a statement, the WHO said Cuba’s milestone in combating these two diseases was achieved through guaranteed comprehensive prenatal care for mothers, including testing for HIV and syphilis. That country is Cuba, and in 2013 it recorded just two babies born with HIV.
“Cuba’s success demonstrates that universal access and universal health coverage are feasible and indeed are the key to success, even against challenges as daunting as HIV”, said PAHO Director Carissa Etienne.
The World Health Organization hailed what it called ‘one of the greatest public health achievements possible’, adding that it was ‘an important step towards having an Aids-free generation’. Etienne said Cuba’s elimination of MTCT of HIV and syphilis “provides inspiration for other countries”.
There have been major initiatives in recent years aiming to get women the treatment they need to keep their children HIV- and syphilis-free. By 2014, more than 40 countries were testing 95% or more of pregnant women in prenatal care for syphilis.
A man walks past a poster reading, “Zero new transmission from mother to child”, on Decemb … Without specialized treatment, there is a 15-45 percent chance a HIV positive mother will pass the disease to their baby, either before birth or during breast feeding.
HIV births are also down throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, dropping 45 percent from 2010 to 2013. The global committee met last week to analyze that report.
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The Who exactly said in a very very declaration that any overseas charge that likely it and of course the Pan American Health Organization despatched to Cuba in March identified the country submitted the standards when it comes to the heading.
