A paediatric and perinatal HIV/AIDS leadership initiative in Kingston, Jamaica
West Indian med. j
;
53(5): 283-292, Oct. 2004.
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-410243
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:
In Jamaica 1-2 of pregnant women are HIV-positive; 876 HIV-positive pregnant women will deliver and at least 283 newly infected HIV-infected infants will be born in 2003; HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death in children aged one to four years. We describe a collaborative [quot ]Town and Gown[quot ] programme to address the paediatric and perinatal HIV epidemic in Kingston.METHOD:
A team of academic and government healthcare personnel, comprising paediatricians, obstetricians, public health practitioners, nurses, microbiologists, data management and information technology personnel collaborated to address this public health emergency.RESULT:
A five-point plan was implemented This comprised leadership and training of a core group of paediatric/perinatal HIVprofessionals to serve Greater Kingston and St Catherine and be a model for the rest of Jamaica. Mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS is prevented by counselling and HIV-testing women in the antenatal clinics, giving azidothymidine (AZT) to HIV pregnant women beginning at 28 weeks gestation, throughout labour and to the HIV-exposed infants for the first six weeks of life. A unified parallel programme for identifying the HIV-infected infant and delivering paediatric HIV care at the major paediatric centres was implemented In three years, over 30,000 pregnant women are being tested for HIV; 600 HIV-exposed babies are being identified and about 140 paediatric HIV infections will be prevented The team is building research capacity which emphasizes a strong outcomes-based research agenda and implementation of clinical trials. We are collaborating, locally, regionally and internationally.CONCLUSION:
Collaboratively, the mission of reducing mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS and improving the quality of life for those already living and affected by HIV/AIDS can be achieved
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Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious
/
HIV Infections
/
Program Development
/
Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical
Limits:
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Infant, Newborn
/
Pregnancy
Country/Region as subject:
English Caribbean
/
Jamaica
Language:
English
Journal:
West Indian med. j
Journal subject:
Medicine
Year:
2004
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Jamaica
Institution/Affiliation country:
University of the West Indies/JM
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