(Photo courtesy ThaiHealth)
Thailand has been officially certified free of the transmission of HIV and syphilis from mothers to their children, making it the first country in Asia and among the first in the world where the rate of mother-to-child transmission of HIV has fallen below 2 per cent.
The rate of HIV transmission from pregnant mothers to their newborns in Thailand declined from 10.3% in 2003 to 1.91% cent in 2015, according to the Ministry of Public Health. Global guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) consider mother-to-child transmission of HIV is effectively eliminated for a country when the rate of transmission falls below 2%.
Independent experts convened by WHO, and supported by Unicef, UNAids and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) validated the Thai achievement,
They confirmed Thailand has met all elimination of mother-to-child transmission criteria for both HIV and congenital syphilis in accordance with global targets. The validation process and study took place from December 2014 to April 2016.
“Thailand’s success in achieving global WHO targets in eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis belongs to everyone – all involved organisations and partners,” said Public Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn.
However, he said making this success sustainable remained a challenge and required effective leadership and management, as well as strong cross-sectoral collaboration.
“This remarkable achievement demonstrates Thailand’s extraordinary commitment and leadership in responding to the global pandemic,” said Thomas Davin, Unicef representative for Thailand. “Thailand has set an example that will inspire many other Asian countries in their efforts towards an Aids- and syphilis-free generation.”
Dr Daniel Kertesz, WHO representative to Thailand, said: “Thailand is one of only a few countries that have broadened universal healthcare to include migrant women, making prevention of mother-to-child transmission affordable for everyone.”
Two decades ago, globally about one in three children whose mothers had HIV were born with HIV, said Tatiana Shoumilina, Country Director of Unaids Thailand.
“Thailand is the first country in Asia to achieve what was deemed an impossible milestone at that time – f freeing infants of HIV as well as syphilis,” she added.
The Thai Red Cross Anonymous Clinic, Asia’s first HIV voluntary counselling and testing clinic. (Bangkok Post file photo)
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This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.