Thailand has taken the lead in Asia as the first country ever in that continent to eliminate mother-to-child transmission ( MTCT) of HIV. This feat in the health history of Thailand was achieved through a pragmatic multi sector response which enjoyed strong political will and serious investment by the Thailand Government.
These collective efforts enabled the country to record success in addressing the four cardinal points of the recommended World Health Organization (WHO) elimination strategy. Consequently, MTCT rates were reduced from 20%-40% in the mid 1990s to 1.9% in 2015 ( surpassing the WHO elimination target of less than 2%).
The WHO strategy focuses on four cardinal points which are as follows: primary prevention of HIV in women of child bearing age; prevention of unintended pregnancies in women living with HIV; prevention of HIV transmission from an HIV-INFECTED woman to her infant; and provision of appropriate treatment, care and support to women and children living with HIV.
In Thailand, drives to promote the use of condom, enlighten the populace about the risk of transmission and initiate testing for pregnant and post partum women have recorded success in execution.
It is imperative to note that strong political leadership is partly responsible for the success of such approaches. For instance, the National AIDS Policy of Thailand was moved from the Ministry of Public Health to the Office of the Prime Minister in 1991 and this giant stride witnessed a boost in investment as the Thailand spending on the HIV/AIDS programme from six hundred and eighty four thousand US dollars ( US $684,000) in 1988 to eighty two million US dollars ( US $ 82,000,000) by 1997.
Another factor to reckon with is the high rate of antenatal care in Thailand. For instance, a voluntary HIV test whose results are released on the same day are run at the first clinic visit and this is followed by re- testing later in pregnancy for HIV-negative expectant mothers. For pregnant women that are HIV-positive, antiretrovial therapy (ART) is provided as soon as possible. It is a good thin that such treatment is now at much affordable cost. Thanks to legislative intervention which has made the non-profit production of generic ART in Thailand possible. Again, counselling services at antenatal clinics enhance the use of dual methods of contraception to avoid unwanted pregnancy in women living with the HIV.
Culled from Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV: Lessons Learnt from Success in Thailand written by a female university don, Professor Usa Thisyakora, a Professor of Paediatrics, Chulanlongkorn, Bangkok, Thailand and published by Taylor and Franscis.
Read the full article online at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20469047.2017.1281873
It is imperative to note that strong political leadership is partly responsible for the success of such approaches. For instance, the National AIDS Policy of Thailand was moved from the Ministry of Public Health to the Office of the Prime Minister in 1991 and this giant stride witnessed a boost in investment as the Thailand spending on the HIV/AIDS programme from six hundred and eighty four thousand US dollars ( US $684,000) in 1988 to eighty two million US dollars ( US $ 82,000,000) by 1997.
Another factor to reckon with is the high rate of antenatal care in Thailand. For instance, a voluntary HIV test whose results are released on the same day are run at the first clinic visit and this is followed by re- testing later in pregnancy for HIV-negative expectant mothers. For pregnant women that are HIV-positive, antiretrovial therapy (ART) is provided as soon as possible. It is a good thin that such treatment is now at much affordable cost. Thanks to legislative intervention which has made the non-profit production of generic ART in Thailand possible. Again, counselling services at antenatal clinics enhance the use of dual methods of contraception to avoid unwanted pregnancy in women living with the HIV.
Culled from Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV: Lessons Learnt from Success in Thailand written by a female university don, Professor Usa Thisyakora, a Professor of Paediatrics, Chulanlongkorn, Bangkok, Thailand and published by Taylor and Franscis.
Read the full article online at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20469047.2017.1281873
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