The new framework developed and released by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) aims to eradicating the mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, Chagas and hepatitis B.
An estimated 2,100 children are born with or got HIV from their mothers each year in Latin America and the Caribbean, 22,400 become infected with syphilis, about 9,000 are born with Chagas, and 6,000 are infected with the hepatitis B virus. When these diseases are not detected and treated on time, they can cause abortions, fetal death, congenital and neurological malformations, heart problems, cirrhosis, liver cancer and even death.
The Framework for the Elimination of Maternal and Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis and Chagas’ Disease (ETMI-PLUS) is a road map with strategies and interventions targeted at women before and during pregnancy, as well as at those who have just given birth and their newborns.
Suzanne Serruya, director of PAHO’s Latin American Center for Perinatology (CLAP), explained that this is an opportunity to integrate and redouble efforts being made to diagnose and treat pregnant women during prenatal care.
Since 2010 and through some strategies, countries have managed to reduce new HIV and syphilis infections by 55%, from 4,700 to 2,100 between 2010 and 2015. At that time, almost 28,000 children were saved from HIV.
This new PAHO initiative proposes universal testing of all pregnant women, a policy adopted by the countries of the region and the world to diagnose HIV and syphilis, but not yet for Chagas and hepatitis B.
Until last year, the 51 countries and territories of the Americas have included hepatitis B in their official vaccination regimens with three doses of the vaccine at 2, 4 and 6 months old.
Regional vaccination coverage for the three-dose series is estimated at 89% and coverage for the newborn dose is 75%. These achievements suggest that elimination of perinatal and early childhood transmission of hepatitis B is feasible, but it is necessary to expand access so that the vaccine reaches at least 95% of children.
PAHO stresses that the fight against Chagas has successfully focused on vector control, environmental improvement and blood control for transfusions. However, the next step in eliminating the disease as a public health problem is to focus efforts on preventing mother-to-child transmission, which now accounts for about one-third of new infections.