Why is Canada investing in Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV?
Globally, the number of new HIV infections continues to outpace the number of people on treatment: for every two people starting treatment, a further five become infected with the virus. Even if the incidence of HIV infections continues to decline at current rates, there will still be more than 22 million new infections by 2015 (UNAIDS, 2009). Scaling up existing and effective prevention efforts in the short to medium term to reach vulnerable populations, particularly women and children, is essential to reversing the epidemic. Coverage for services to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission rose from 10% in 2004 to 45% globally in 2008 (World Health Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund, UNAIDS, 2009), and the drop in new HIV infections among children in 2008 suggests that these efforts are saving lives. Yet an estimated 430,000 children were born with HIV in 2008 (UNAIDS, 2009). Recognizing the opportunity to slow the spread of HIV by strengthening an existing, effective, prev
