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Asia Pacific Region Initiates Action to Integrate HIV Prevention Into Maternal and Child Health Care Services

World Health Organization
2006-11-07 09:34 3426


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.

Source: World Health Organization
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