AIDSWEEKLY Plus; Monday, June 1, 2009
Staff Medical Writers

NewsRx -- Global and national programs to prevent vertical (mother-to-child) transmission are in disarray and governments are falling seriously short of their goals, leading to hundreds of thousands of needless HIV infections annually, according to new on-the-ground research from six countries published in the latest Missing the Target report -- "Failing Women, Failing Children: HIV, Vertical Transmission and Women's Health" -- from the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC), to be released during the 62nd World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva (see also HIV/AIDS).

Although the drugs have been available for over a decade, two-thirds of HIV-positive pregnant women in the developing world do not receive any antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to prevent HIV transmission to infants. Worse, most of those who get drugs are treated with a therapy known to be just over 40% effective, rather than the triple-dose combination therapy that successfully prevents almost 98% of newborn HIV infections in the developed world.

"The statistics clearly show that governments of developing countries are failing to provide effective drug therapy to prevent HIV infections in newborns. Worse still, our research findings point to an unacceptable absence of a comprehensive program to prevent vertical transmission," said Aditi Sharma, coordinator of the Treatment Monitoring and Advocacy Project of ITPC. "Unless governments begin to address the fundamental barriers specific to women that stop them accessing health care services, the world will continue to miss the target of eradicating vertical transmission of HIV."

Research conducted by civil society activists in Argentina, Cambodia, Moldova, Morocco, Uganda and Zimbabwe shows that efforts to prevent vertical transmission are failing to reach the very group it was designed for -- HIV-positive pregnant women. One of the key reasons for this is that the national programs have been narrowly focused on providing antiretroviral prophylaxis and not on the other essentials -- prevention, counseling, care and treatment for women and children.

"On paper, the existing global program is a model of sound design, human rights principles and a comprehensive approach. In practice, it is a shameful demonstration of double standards and another instance of women's programming for which everyone and no one at the UN is in charge," said Stephen Lewis, co-director of AIDS-Free World, who co-authored the report's preface.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, AIDS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Antivirals, Combination Therapy, HIV, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Obstetrics, Pediatrics, Treatment, Virology, Women's Health, International Treatment Preparedness Coalition.

This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, AIDS Weekly via NewsRx.com.

2009-06-01
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