The World Health Organization has congratulated Thailand as the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.The disease is passed from mother to child either in the womb or during labor, delivery or breastfeeding, and if untreated, there is a 15-45% chance of the baby inheriting HIV from its mother. If treatment — in the form of antiretroviral medicine — is given during the crucial stages, that chance is reduced to 1%.
“To ensure children are born healthy is to give them the best possible start in life. It is immensely encouraging to see countries succeed in eliminating mother-to-
child transmission of these two infections,” said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan. “This is a tremendous achievement — a clear signal that the world is on the way to an AIDS-free generation.”The Thai minister of health was presented with a certificate of validation in a ceremony in New York.
“This is a remarkable achievement for a country where thousands of people live with HIV,” said Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO regional director for Southeast Asia.
“Thailand’s unwavering commitment to core public health principles has made elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis a reality, a critical step for rolling back the HIV epidemic. Thailand has demonstrated to the world that HIV can be defeated.”
Source: Leadership online
