This World AIDS Day (1st December), World Vision is continuing to call for universal access to services to be available to ensure that no child is born with HIV.
In 2009 the number of children living with HIV worldwide increased to 2.5 million. More than 90 per cent of all children living with HIV contract the virus from their mothers during pregnancy, birth or breast-feeding.
However, the overall risk of HIV passing from mother to child can be reduced to less than two per cent by interventions including testing, counseling, antiretroviral treatment and exclusive breast-feeding or appropriate replacement feeding.
Lehlohonolo Chabeli, National Director and CEO of World Vision South Africa (WVSA) said this morning that AIDS is far more than a huge health crisis. “AIDS threatens development itself. The unprecedented crisis of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic commands an unprecedented response from all individuals and collective entities.”
As part of World Vision South Africa’s community-based HIV programmes,” Chabeli said, “we work hard to protect mothers and babies through awareness raising, prevention and care.” He added that the involvement of fathers is crucial in striving towards bringing an end to children being born with HIV, particularly participating in voluntary testing and counseling.
Chabeli made a call for greater cohesion between the rich and poor; the healthy and the sick; the leaders and their followers, in fighting HIV and AIDS.
The following facts around HIV and AIDS need to be pondered upon:
Reduce a mom’s risk of passing HIV to her baby
Without treatment, HIV-positive moms have a 1 in 3 chance of infecting their children. Yet a few simple measures dramatically reduce these odds.
The problem? Too many moms can’t access the HIV care they need.
But there is hope. World Vision works in HIV- and AIDS-affected communities in more than 60 countries. With your support, we can help HIV-positive moms live longer, and help their children live free of HIV.
Protect babies from HIV
· Most children living with HIV acquired the virus during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding.
· Every 90 seconds, another child becomes infected with HIV.
· Every day, nearly 800 children die because of AIDS.
· Only 1 in 3 HIV-positive pregnant women can access treatment to prevent passing the
disease to their babies.
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