Top > Regional Affairs > Africa > TICAD > Illustrative List Of Ongoing and Pipeline Projects/Programs For African Development As a Reference Document for TICAD II > I. Social Development and Poverty Reduction (1.2 Health and Population) > Pilot projects for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV

Pilot Project for Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV
Project / Programme Summary

I. Basic data

Sector: Health and Population
Title: Pilot projects for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV
Donor organization: UNAIDS
Other donors/organizations involved: WHO, UNICEF, USAID, France, Sweden etc.
Beneficiary countries: Botswana, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cote d'Ivoire, Tanzania, Uganda
Implementing agencies in beneficiary countries: mainly UNICEF, UNAIDS Supportive Governments
Duration: two years
Starting date: late 1998
Project/Program budget: approximately US$500,000 per country
Finance/Type of co-operation: grant at technical co-operation

II. Project / program description

  1. Objectives
    To help HIV-positive mothers increase their chance of having a healthy child.
  2. Activities
    The pilot projects aim to offer voluntary and confidential HIV counselling and testing to pregnant women, and to provide those who learn they are infected with antiretroviral drugs, better birth care and safe infant feeding methods.
    UNAIDS coordinates the international initiative. UNICEF plays a major role at country level in assisting governments and other partners to carry out the projects. WHO provides technical support to countries.
    In all pilot countries, the idea is to select project sites where women of childbearing age have high HIV infection rates and where the local health system is strong enough to deliver the package of measures for reducing mother-to-child transmission of the virus.
  3. Expected outcomes/impacts
    Reduction of HIV infection from mother to child.
  4. Features in line with the Agenda for Action
    Nearly 600,000 infants acquired HIV from their mothers before or at birth or through breast milk during 1997 globally and HIV is contributing substantially to rising child mortality, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Without the immediate action to prevent the infection from mother to child, this rising child mortality will greatly reduce the potentiality of economic and social development of African countries in due course.
    The pilot projects provide not only a measure to prevent the transmission of the virus but other measures ranging from good-quality reproductive health, antenatal care, delivery services to protection of their reproductive rights, and referral for care and support after discharge from MCH.
    The pilot projects are based on the outcome of the study in Thailand which demonstrated the efficacy and safety of a short and affordable antiretroviral drug for prevention of mother-to-child transmission. The experience in Thailand is expected to be reflected in the pilot projects in Africa.

III. Contact point:

UNAIDS

(End)

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