May 7th is World AIDS Orphans Day. I am commemorating the day by highlighting how we can end pediatric HIV. There are several campaigns going on concurrently to end vertical transmission of HIV from mother to child by 2015 by enabling pregnant women with HIV and newborn babies born to positive mothers universal access to ARV meds. Pediatric HIV is an entirely preventable disease.
I have reported on this topic before, but it bears repeating. All the major players are now saying it is an achievable goal to halt mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS within the next few years. UNICEF has revealed it’s Children and AIDS: Fifth Stocktaking Report, 2010. Here are some statements from The Global Fund, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, UNICEF, and World Health Organization. I can’t wait until there are no more HIV-positive orphans for me to advocate for! Here are some video reports.
UNICEF has released a statement which states an “HIV-free generation is achievable”.
According to latest United Nations data, 370,000 children were born with HIV in 2009.
“This is something we know how to prevent.”
Just over half of all pregnant women infected HIV got the drugs they needed to prevent mother-to-child transmission in 2009, compared with 45 percent in 2008.
Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, said there was now “strong evidence that elimination of mother-to-child transmission is achievable.”
In a separate statement before world AIDS day on December 1, the UNAIDS director Michel Sidibe said: “Nothing gives me more hope than knowing that an AIDS-free generation is possible in our lifetime.”
’20 20′ – ABC News
Born HIV Free Achievements of the Campaign to Move us Toward an HIV free Generation
UNICEF – Children and HIV and AIDS – ‘Children and AIDS Fifth Stocktaking Report’ launched