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Dakar, July 12 (APS) – The prevention of hiv in children should begin with the systematic screening of women of childbearing age, said Thursday in Dakar, Professor Cheikh Tidiane Ndour, head of the AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections Division, Ministry of Health and Social Action
"For the women tested negative, the objective is to do everything so that they are not infected later and it is necessary to put quickly under treatment those which are detected positive" said the infectious disease specialist.
"A pregnant woman on antiretroviral treatment who is properly cared for does not transmit the virus to her child," he pointed out, noting the "many advances" made by research into that Sens.
Indeed, he assured, "the epidemic of pediatric HIV has disappeared in European countries because women are routinely screened and put on treatment in case of the presence of HIV virus".
"Here there are pregnant women who never come to care facilities or who do not test," said Pr Ndour. This is why, he said, "children continue to be born with the HIV virus transmitted by their mother whereas today, with the progress of the research, no child should be infected anymore during the pregnancy if everything is done correctly. "
The delay is thus "much more important in the care with prenatal consultations (CPN)" with an expected rate of 95% according to the standards of the World Health Organization. Senegal, which is 70%, has a "significant gap" to fill in order to make screening effective for pregnant women.
"Health workers must offer any woman who is on antenatal visit the opportunity to be tested for HIV, but the rate of achievement is still very low," regretted Pr Ndour.
Which poses, according to him, "a problem in the health structures where on the 70% of CPN, just 55% of proposals are made while the test must be proposed systematically".
"Women do not refuse the test but the proposal is not systematic among health actors," he said.
That's why alternatives are being taken with a program that involves appointing godmothers among midwives to accompany pregnant women.
"This initiative should make it possible to fill gaps both in pregnant women and in the follow-up of children, because at six weeks a test must be carried out on the baby whose mother is carrying the virus and follow it until 'to 18 months for the definitive diagnosis' noted Professor Cheikh Tidiane Ndour.
Reminders that there is "globally 33% of children diagnosed and put on treatment". The head of the AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections Division shared the proposed "innovative strategies", calling on the actors to participate in the awareness-raising effort so that "no more children are born with the HIV virus".
According to the infectiologist, community actors, health professionals, especially midwives, but also journalists need to help make known "the real face of the disease today so people are less afraid and willing to do so. screening ".
There are approximately 43,000 HIV / AIDS carriers in Senegal, of whom almost 4,800 are children, according to the latest figures from the AIDS Control Division.
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