Caála – At least 20 children were born free of HIV/AIDS at the Mother and Child Centre in Caála, central Huambo province, during the first half of this year, through vertical transmission cutting, as part of the ‘Born Free to Shine’ campaign, the head of the HIV/AIDS department, Beatriz da Costa said Tuesday.
Beatriz da Costa said some eight children are currently being monitored.
Without giving any further figures, she said the number of pregnant women adhering to vertical prevention treatment is likely to increase, compared to the same period in 2023, due to the intensification of awareness campaigns during prenatal consultations, in schools, churches and communities in general.
At the moment, 82 HIV-positive pregnant women are being monitored, out of a total of 260 monitored at the centre.
She pointed to stigma and discrimination as one of the main obstacles to getting tested or treated for HIV/AIDS, an evil that occurs essentially in families and workplaces, which needs to be reversed in view of the consequences it has, particularly for pregnant women.MLV/JSV/PLB/DAN/AMP
