About the Campaign

Continue support of PMTCT for mothers and Paediatric care for children with a specific focus on early-infant diagnosis.

Significant gains are being made; Sub-Saharan Africa, the region hit the hardest with the HIV epidemic, has seen dramatic increases in the number of children accessing ARVs within the last 2 years. But, children under the age of one are not getting diagnosed and are missing out on treatment. As a result, large numbers of very young children are dying every year because of AIDS. Evidence has shown mortality levels reduced by up to 75 per cent when infants were tested and treated within the first 12 weeks of life. In 2007, however, only 8 per cent of children born to HIV-positive women were tested before they were two months old. Recent studies find that the median age at which children with HIV begin treatment is between five and nine years old, in many cases too late.

By 2007, the percentage of HIV positive pregnant women who received PMTCT has more than doubled. However, most pregnant women diagnosed with HIV do not have access to treatment, including antiretroviral therapy for their own health, to further reduce HIV transmission and prevent orphaning. Too few pregnant women know their HIV status. In 2007, only 18 percent of pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries were tested for HIV, and of those who tested positively for HIV, only 12 percent were further screened to determine the status of the HIV disease and the type of treatment they require. Addressing mothers' needs for diagnosis and treatment will improve not only their own overall health but their children's survival.

What is Unicef doing:

UNICEF, in partnership with the UN agencies, produces an annual Stocktaking report which provides information on the latest developments, and challenges related to HIV and AIDS as it impacts women and children. In most countries, UNICEF works in partnership with other agencies to build capacity and to expand PMTCT services delivery points; strengthen referral linkages and model integration of PMTCT services within existing services; maternal and child health; and community level structures and activities.