|
"Screening for HIV"
The
Star (www.thestar.com.my)
(06/04/07)
In conjunction with World Health Day tomorrow, StarTwo takes a look at one
of the most successful AIDS prevention programmes in the country.
EVERY woman hopes for the best outcome for her child. But what if she’s HIV
positive, and even worse, her child contracts the virus from her?
When Siti (not her real name) found out that she was pregnant and HIV
positive, it was like the pronouncement of a death sentence. She had been
infected by her husband, who has since died. She lost all hope, especially
when she knew there was a high possibility of passing on the virus to her
baby.
As of June 2006, 73,427 Malaysians have been diagnosed with HIV or AIDS,
with an average of 17 new cases reported every day. The proportion of women
reported with HIV has increased dramatically in the last decade from 4% of
new cases in 1995 to 12% in 2005. As a result, the percentage of babies born
with HIV has increased from 0.2% in 1991 to 1.2% in 2005 (Unicef).
Under the national Prevention of Mother to-Child Transmission programme
which started in 1998, antenatal mothers can receive free confidential HIV
screening at government antenatal clinics.
Pregnant women who visit government clinics are tested for HIV and those
found to be HIV positive are given free counselling and anti-retroviral
drugs to keep the virus at bay. Their newborn babies are also treated and
given regular tests for HIV.
Dr Christopher Lee, president of the Malaysian Society of HIV Medicine, says
that this is one of the more successful programmes in the country, achieving
98% effectiveness in screening expectant mothers in government clinics.
“On the government’s part, it presents the perfect opportunity to offer
basic counselling in helping women to be more aware of the problem.
“Normally, without intervention, the risk of a child getting HIV from the
infected mother is 30% but with the use of anti-retroviral drugs, it has
been brought down to 8%. Now, with the use of modern combination drugs, the
risk has been lowered to 2%,” says Dr Lee, who deals with the private
sector.
Private medical facilities often refer patients to government hospitals or
vice versa, when patients opt to be monitored privately and their care is
co-managed by government hospitals.
For some cases, elective caesarean can also help to cut the risks when the
mother comes in too late.
“Let’s say the expectant mother only comes forward to seek treatment at 36
weeks. Of course, we will administer the necessary drugs but it would still
take at least four to eight weeks for the drugs to kick in. By having an
elective caesarean, the risk will be between 2% and 8% as the baby will have
less exposure to the mother’s body fluids.”
For people like Siti, the programme represents hope and a shot at life for
her child. With treatment, Siti’s child was born free of the virus.
Four years later, she became pregnant again (when she remarried), and her
daughter, was also tested negative for HIV.
However, Dr Lee stresses that just because the first child was tested
negative, it does not mean the outcome will be the same for subsequent
children. Also, children with HIV should be monitored closely in case there
are any changes.
By making sure more women have access to treatment, their children will have
a future to look forward to.
 Back to
News Page
|
