Check-up for a HIV-infected woman (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Numerous measures have been taken to prevent mother-to-baby transmission of HIV (MTCT) during the month-long campaign in June.
The health sector and relevant ministries and sectors have promoted publicity campaigns on the benefit of the early application of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy to HIV infected pregnant women to reduce the MTCT rate.
A list of 226 facilities providing MTCT prevention services across localities has been published.
Various other communication activities have also been conducted at all levels to raise public awareness and knowledge of benefits of early access to the services.
Additionally, free HIV testing and consultation services have been offered to pregnant women on their first check-up among all medical facilities and at all levels.
Connection between HIV testing facilities and HIV/AIDS treatment facilities has been strengthened to take good care of pregnant women with HIV while ensuring the availability of ARV drug to prevent and reduce the MTCT rate.
Last year, more than 1 million pregnant women were screened for HIV, resulting in the detection of nearly 1,000 HIV carriers among them. However, only 60 percent of HIV-infected expectant mothers were detected during pregnancy, while 40 percent were detected during delivery.
Launched in 2004, the progamme aimed to reduce the rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission to below five percent by 2015 by ensuring access to a number of preventative services launched at medical facilities across the nation.
From 2011 to 2015, the programme helped prevent 15,000 infants of HIV-infected mothers from catching the virus.-VNA
