SUBANG, Malaysia, Nov. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- With an estimated 930,000
new HIV infections in Asia and Pacific in 2005, UN agencies have called for
urgent efforts to better integrate HIV prevention, treatment and care into
maternal and newborn health services to prevent the escalating spread of the
virus and reduce mortality. Calls for strengthening integration of these
vital health services came at the opening of the first Asia Pacific Joint
Forum in Malaysia.
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With sixty per cent of the world’s population living in this region and
many countries with a high proportion of young people between the ages of 15
and 25, the need to scale up HIV prevention, treatment and care efforts and
provide better reproductive health services, is urgent. Due to inadequate
maternal and child health services, many countries also suffer from high
maternal and infant mortality, especially during a child’s first month of
life.
Globally, as part of the Millennium Development Goals, Governments have
agreed to reduce maternal mortality, tackle infant and child mortality, and
to prevent the further spread of HIV and AIDS. In October 2006, the United
Nations General Assembly endorsed a new target for universal access to
reproductive health by 2015.
Yet in many countries, public health budgets remain low, access to health
services, especially in rural areas, remains inadequate, and pervasive gender
inequality and discrimination continues to hamper efforts to roll out HIV
prevention, treatment and care, and also scale up access to maternal and
child health services.
The World Health Organization noted that in many countries, efforts to
scale up prevention of parent to child transmission and roll out access to
HIV treatment are underway. However, this can only succeed if we better
strengthen our investment in the primary health care system, especially to
improve outreach and referral services to those who are most in need.
Although patterns of HIV infection vary greatly between and within
countries in the region, there has been a rapid increase among people with
high-risk behaviours, who are often poor, marginalized and increasingly
women. Between 2001 and 2004, the estimated number of HIV positive women in
the region increased by 16 per cent to over two million. This is a much
faster increase than the average globally, which is about 8 per cent. In
many cases young women become infected through exploitative, coercive or
violent sex.
“Linking HIV prevention efforts with reproductive health care can
strengthen and improve access to both,” said Dr. Chaiyos Kunanusont,
HIV/AIDS Adviser, UNFPA Country Technical Services Team in for Asia and the
Pacific for the UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund. “Millions of women
who don’t know their HIV status have an unmet need for effective
contraception. Integrated services would enable them to protect themselves
and also reduce HIV transmission to their children.”
The number of new infections amongst children and young people is also
growing. In 2005, there was an estimated 8.3 million people, including
411,000 children living with HIV in Asia and Pacific, with 82,000 infected
that year alone. About 90% of these children were infected as a result of
mother to child transmission.
“Many countries in Asia and the Pacific already have national guidelines
in place for the prevention of parent to child transmission. Many countries
have trained health workers and are introducing treatment,” said Richard
Bridle, UNICEF Deputy Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. “The
challenge remains how we better link these efforts to prevent disease and
improve nutrition to provide a holistic package of services for mothers and
their children.”
The meeting, from the 6 to the 10th November, brings together health
professionals, Governments, people living with HIV, and civil society groups
from 22 countries in the region. It has been jointly organized by WHO,
UNICEF, UNFPA and UNAIDS. Delegates are expected to agree on a framework for
stronger links between maternal and child health, family planning, sexual
health and counselling and testing for HIV and sexually transmitted
infections. They are also promoting a four-prong strategy for the prevention
of primary HIV infection in mothers and young children. The first prong
focuses on preventing parents-to-be from infection with HIV. Women are
especially vulnerable to infection when pregnant and breastfeeding. The
second prong seeks to assist HIV positive women and couples who want to avoid
pregnancy. The third prong aims to ensure that HIV positive pregnant women
are offered anti-HIV medicines, and other interventions, that lower the risk
that HIV will pass to the baby. The fourth prong ensures that HIV positive
mothers and their families have access to the care, support and treatment
they need.
The meeting will also provide an opportunity for countries to share
solutions and experiences. Experience from countries has already indicated
that many of the services and initiatives needed to lessen the impact of the
HIV epidemic will also help to promote the reproductive health of young
people, and reduce the risk of maternal and newborn deaths.