Overview of the conference (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn)
Speaking at the event, Mr. Nguyen Duc Vinh, Head of the Department of Maternal and Children Health, said the over the past time, the health sector in general, as well as the reproductive health care system and HIV/AIDS prevention system, have implemented many interventions to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Previously, if prevention measures were not implemented, the rate of mother-to-child transmission of HIV was 40%. Recently, as pregnant women have access to preventive medicines, the infection rate is very low, even only 0%.
Ms. Lesley Miller, Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Vietnam, said that Vietnam has made impressive achievements in controlling HIV. Between 2000 and 2017, an estimated 400,000 new HIV infections and nearly 160,000 AIDS-related deaths were prevented thanks to effective prevention and treatment measures. Efforts to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV integrated in the maternal and child care system are very important.
She added that despite success, every year Vietnam still has about 2,500 pregnant women infected with HIV, more than a quarter of them do not receive appropriate interventions to prevent mother-to-child transmission. In addition, Vietnam is one of the countries with the highest number of pregnant mothers with hepatitis B, about 15%; and the number of children born with syphilis is also increasing.
According to Ms. Lesley Miller, every child born has a healthy chance. Mother-to-child transmission of diseases can be prevented through vaccination, screening and treatment. Therefore, elimination of mother-to-child transmission diseases is completely feasible.
According to Decision 7130 on approving the National Action Plan to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis in the period of 2018-2030 issued by the Ministry of Health on November 29th, 2018, the common target is to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis by 2030./.