Prevention of mother-to-child transmission
Situation and trends
In 2010, 716 500 pregnant women living with HIV in low- and middle income countries received the most effective antiretroviral regimens -excluding single-dose nevirapine- to reduce the risk of HIV transmission to their infants, including antiretroviral therapy for their own health.
As access to services for preventing the mother-to child transmission of HIV increased, the annual number of children acquiring HIV infection stabilized in the early 2000s before decreasing steeply in the past few years. An estimated 390 000 [340 000–450 000] children were newly infected with HIV in 2010, 30% fewer than the peak of 560 000 [500 000–630 000] children newly infected annually in 2002 and 2003. The number of children (younger than 15 years) living with HIV globally has levelled off in the past few years and totaled 3.4 million [3 000 000–3 800 000] in 2010; more than 90% were living in sub-Saharan Africa.
Only 12 countries reached the 80% coverage target with effective regimens among the estimated number of pregnant women living with HIV in need (only countries with more than 1000 need are included). In the WHO African Region (AFR), Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland have achieved more than 80% coverage. Eight other countries in AFR have coverage levels of 50% to 80%. The African Region as a whole achieved 50% [45%–56%] coverage.
Worldwide, 48% [44%–54%] of women in low- and middle-income countries received the most effective antiretroviral regimens to prevent the mother-to-child transmission of HIV in 2010. The gap in reaching the target of 90% coverage of the most effective antiretroviral regimens for preventing mother-to-child transmission is becoming more concentrated in a handful of countries, with 4 countries comprising more than 50% of the global gap. Nigeria alone now contributes to 29% of the gap, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo next, contributing 7% of the gap.