Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Associated Press - November 22, 2005
The Health Ministry, backed by UNICEF, announced it would provide 50,000 free AIDS tests to pregnant women and adolescents in the poorest regions of the country starting in 2006.
Last year, 75% of Brazil's pregnant women were tested for AIDS and the additional tests should largely close the gap.
The ministry said early diagnosis of HIV, the virus which causes AIDS, can allow treatments that avoid transmission to the baby in 99% of cases.
The ministry estimates that 600,000 of Brazil's 183 million people are HIV positive, with about 21,000 of them children or teenagers. It said that about 9,000 of those were infected by their mothers.
Across Latin America and the Caribbean, about 740,000 people between the ages of 15 and 24 are infected with HIV, according to UNICEF.
"In spite of the alarming numbers, the policies to combat the epidemic haven't given priority to the issue of children. Children are rarely mentioned when AIDS is discussed," UNICEF representative Marie Pierre Poirier told reporters in Brasilia.
The effort is part of a campaign which will also include education and expanded access to anti-AIDS drugs in Bolivia, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Paraguay, Sao Tome and Principe and East Timor.
051122
AP051147
Copyright © 2005 - Associated Press. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the AP Permissions Desk.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2005. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2005. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .