Supporting mothers in protecting their children from HIV.

The annual HIV Mother-to-Child Transmission Prevention Month, held from June 1st to 30th, aims to promote communication and raise community awareness about preventing HIV transmission from mother to child; it also strengthens the provision of timely medical services and support to ensure people have access to and benefit from quality healthcare services.

• Provincial Center for Disease Control: Training on preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, hepatitis B, and syphilis.
• Ensuring the quality of HIV serological testing.
• HIV/AIDS prevention and control communication from schools.

The program's primary goal is to encourage women preparing for marriage, pregnant women, and women at high risk to proactively get tested for HIV early in order to receive timely counseling and preventive treatment, striving to reduce the rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission to below 2%.

Mother-to-child transmission of HIV is one of the three main routes of HIV/AIDS transmission. The HIV virus can be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. However, with early detection and proper treatment, the risk of transmission can be reduced to less than 1%, allowing thousands of healthy children to be born each year.

Strengthen communication and raise public awareness.

The 2026 peak month aims to mobilize the participation of the entire political system and society in implementing the National Strategy to End AIDS by 2030, including the goal of eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission.

Health check-ups, consultations, and monitoring for women before pregnancy.

Communication activities focus on raising awareness among pregnant women, women of childbearing age, wives of HIV-infected individuals, and women with high-risk behaviors about the benefits of early HIV testing and timely preventive treatment.

In addition, the program aims to reduce stigma and discrimination against pregnant women infected with HIV and children born to HIV-infected mothers; and to strengthen family and community support in HIV/AIDS prevention and control.

Through health education and communication activities, people are equipped with more knowledge about HIV/AIDS, thereby changing their behavior, proactively preventing infection, and increasing their responsibility in taking care of their own and their families' health.

HIV/AIDS and the risk of mother-to-child transmission.

HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system and makes the body susceptible to opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, infectious diarrhea, fungal infections, and cancer. If left untreated, people infected with HIV can progress to AIDS and die.

HIV is primarily transmitted through three routes: unprotected sexual intercourse, blood, and mother-to-child transmission. Mother-to-child transmission occurs during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.

Community communication on preventing HIV transmission from mother to child.

HIV transmission from mother to child is preventable through the use of HIV treatment drugs combined with other strategies that reduce the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission to less than 1%. Pregnant and expectant mothers should visit healthcare facilities for screening and testing. Healthcare professionals will provide guidance on measures to prevent and reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission.

Proactive measures to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child.

According to the health sector, without preventive intervention, the risk of HIV transmission from mother to child can be 20-30%. However, proper antiretroviral (ARV) treatment during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum can significantly reduce this risk.

For effective prevention, women of childbearing age need to proactively learn about HIV/AIDS, adopt safe lifestyles, and get tested for HIV before marriage or pregnancy to receive timely counseling.

Pregnant women should have regular prenatal checkups and get tested for HIV at their first visit. If HIV infection is detected, early ARV treatment is especially important to reduce the viral load in the mother's body and limit the risk of transmission to the child.

Women infected with HIV, if treated correctly and adhering to the treatment regimen, can still become pregnant, give birth to healthy children, and prevent transmission to their children.

Currently, specialized healthcare facilities for HIV/AIDS prevention and control, such as provincial Centers for Disease Control, Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospitals, and obstetrics departments of general hospitals, are all providing counseling, testing, and preventive treatment to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission.

Prevention during childbirth and postpartum.

During labor, HIV-infected women need to continue their prescribed ARV treatment to maintain the lowest possible viral load, reducing the risk of transmission to the child during childbirth.

For cases with high viral load or undetermined viral load, doctors may prescribe additional intravenous Zidovudine or perform a planned cesarean section to reduce the risk of infection.

Pre-marital counseling helps women learn how to take care of their health, especially during pregnancy.

After birth, infants born to HIV-infected mothers need to start prophylactic medication as soon as possible, usually within the first 6-12 hours after birth, and continue for 4-6 weeks as directed by their doctor.

In addition, HIV-infected mothers must continue ARV treatment for life to protect their own health, prevent HIV from progressing to AIDS, and limit the risk of transmission to others.

The peak month for preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission is not only an opportunity to raise community awareness but also contributes to protecting children's right to be born healthy, aiming towards the goal of eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission by 2030.

Phuoc Nhuong

Source: https://baocamau.vn/dong-hanh-cung-me-bao-ve-con-truoc-hiv-a128941.html