Babylon
JF-Expert Member
- Feb 5, 2009
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[h=1]HIV breakthrough as Cuba becomes the first country in the world to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of the virus[/h]
The World Health Organization hailed what it called one of the greatest public health achievements possible, adding that it was an important step towards having an Aids-free generation.
Elimination of transmission is defined by the group as a reduction to such a low level that it is no longer a public health problem.
+2
'Important step': Carissa Etienne (centre), director of the Pan America Health Organization, speaks during an announcement about Cuba in Washington DC today. She is accompanied by Roberto Tomas Morales Ojeda (left), Cuban Minister of Public Health and Luiz Loures (right), deputy executive director of UNAids
UNAids executive director Michel Sidibé said: This is a celebration for Cuba and a celebration for children and families everywhere.
It shows that ending the Aids epidemic is possible and we expect Cuba to be the first of many countries coming forward to seek validation that they have ended their epidemics among children.
Only two children in the country were born with HIV and five with syphilis in 2013.
An international delegation sent to Cuba by the WHO and the Pan American Health Organization in March determined the country met the criteria for the designation.
+2
Congratulations: Dr Etienne (centre) with Dr Ojeda (left) during a certificate presentation announcing that Cuba is the first country to receive validation of having eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis
PAHO director Carissa Etienne said: Cuba's success demonstrates that universal access and universal health coverage are feasible and indeed are the key to success, even against challenges as daunting as HIV.
[h=3]AT RISK: BABIES BORN WITH HIV [/h] An estimated 1.4 million women living with HIV become pregnant each year.
Untreated, they have a 15 to 45 per cent chance of transmitting the virus to their children during pregnancy, labour, delivery or breastfeeding.
But that risk drops to just over 1 per cent if antiretroviral medicines are given to both mothers and children throughout the stages when infection can occur.
The number of children born annually with HIV has almost halved since 2009 - down from 400,000 in 2009 to 240,000 in 2013.
There is a global target of less than 40,000 new child infections per year by 2015.
Cuba's Communist government considers its free healthcare a major achievement of the 1959 revolution.
But ordinary Cubans complain of a decline in standards since the fall of the Soviet Union, the country's former benefactor, in 1991.
The PAHO and WHO credited Cuba with offering women early access to prenatal care, HIV and syphilis testing, and treatment for mothers who test positive.
The two organisations began an effort to end congenital transmission of HIV and syphilis in Cuba and other countries in the Americas in 2010.
WHO director general Dr Margaret Chan said: Eliminating transmission of a virus is one of the greatest public health achievements possible.
This is a major victory in our long fight against HIV and sexually transmitted infections, and an important step towards having an AIDS-free generation.
- World Health Organization hails big step 'towards Aids-free generation'
- Elimination is reduction to level stopping it being public health problem
- UNAids says today is 'celebration for children and families everywhere'
- Only two children in Cubia born with HIV and five with syphilis in 2013
The World Health Organization hailed what it called one of the greatest public health achievements possible, adding that it was an important step towards having an Aids-free generation.
Elimination of transmission is defined by the group as a reduction to such a low level that it is no longer a public health problem.
+2
'Important step': Carissa Etienne (centre), director of the Pan America Health Organization, speaks during an announcement about Cuba in Washington DC today. She is accompanied by Roberto Tomas Morales Ojeda (left), Cuban Minister of Public Health and Luiz Loures (right), deputy executive director of UNAids
UNAids executive director Michel Sidibé said: This is a celebration for Cuba and a celebration for children and families everywhere.
It shows that ending the Aids epidemic is possible and we expect Cuba to be the first of many countries coming forward to seek validation that they have ended their epidemics among children.
Only two children in the country were born with HIV and five with syphilis in 2013.
An international delegation sent to Cuba by the WHO and the Pan American Health Organization in March determined the country met the criteria for the designation.
+2
Congratulations: Dr Etienne (centre) with Dr Ojeda (left) during a certificate presentation announcing that Cuba is the first country to receive validation of having eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis
PAHO director Carissa Etienne said: Cuba's success demonstrates that universal access and universal health coverage are feasible and indeed are the key to success, even against challenges as daunting as HIV.
[h=3]AT RISK: BABIES BORN WITH HIV [/h] An estimated 1.4 million women living with HIV become pregnant each year.
Untreated, they have a 15 to 45 per cent chance of transmitting the virus to their children during pregnancy, labour, delivery or breastfeeding.
But that risk drops to just over 1 per cent if antiretroviral medicines are given to both mothers and children throughout the stages when infection can occur.
The number of children born annually with HIV has almost halved since 2009 - down from 400,000 in 2009 to 240,000 in 2013.
There is a global target of less than 40,000 new child infections per year by 2015.
Cuba's Communist government considers its free healthcare a major achievement of the 1959 revolution.
But ordinary Cubans complain of a decline in standards since the fall of the Soviet Union, the country's former benefactor, in 1991.
The PAHO and WHO credited Cuba with offering women early access to prenatal care, HIV and syphilis testing, and treatment for mothers who test positive.
The two organisations began an effort to end congenital transmission of HIV and syphilis in Cuba and other countries in the Americas in 2010.
WHO director general Dr Margaret Chan said: Eliminating transmission of a virus is one of the greatest public health achievements possible.
This is a major victory in our long fight against HIV and sexually transmitted infections, and an important step towards having an AIDS-free generation.
