Oliver Meth
Botswana has become the first high-burden country to be certified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for achieving an important milestone on the path to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
WHO awards this certification to countries which have brought the mother-to-child HIV transmission rate to under 5 percent; provided antenatal care and antiretroviral treatment to over 90 percent of pregnant women; and achieved an HIV case rate of fewer than 500 per 100 000 live births.
The country demonstrates that an AIDS-free generation is possible. It’s a big step forward in ending AIDS in Africa and shows how visionary political leadership aligned with public health priorities can save lives.
This is a huge accomplishment for a country that has one of the most severe HIV epidemics in the world – Botswana demonstrates that an AIDS-free generation is possible,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
The story of Pretty(not her real name) is one remarkable story. She lives in Serowe village in Botswana and is living with HIV.
When pregnant, she was worried of transmitting the virus to her baby. She anxiously waited for the HIV test result and could not be happier when it came out negative.
“I had no idea about such services, until I started antenatal clinic and was told I could prevent my child from being infected. I started the treatment and regular talks at the clinic. There were no harms (side effects), I was anxious and today I have a healthy baby girl,” she said.
Globally, 15 countries have been certified for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV. None of them had an epidemic as large as Botswana.
The country’s feat to date on its journey to elimination is the result of a national response strategy spanning two decades and facing a HIV prevalence rate as high as 30 percent, Botswana initiated an aggressive programme to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
In 2013, Botswana became one of the first countries in the world to implement the so-called ‘Option B+’, a plan for treating all pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV with a highly effective lifelong triple antiretroviral treatment regimen at the time of diagnosis.
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