The International Community of Women Living with HIV & AIDS Eastern Africa (ICWEA) join the rest of the world in commemorating World AIDS Day 2012 and committing to achieve zero new HIV infections, zero stigma and discrimination and zero new AIDS-related deaths.
We commend the East African regional governments and respective Ministries of Health for their commitment to this mission. In recent years, they have developed comprehensive eMTCT plans, adopted new scientific advances such as safe medical male circumcision, and recognized the preventive and other benefits of stating treatment earlier.
However there are still alarming numbers of new HIV infections in women and children in our region.
- In Kenya, it is estimated that 12,894 children under age 15 became newly infected with HIV in 2011, with the overwhelming majority contracting the virus through pregnancy, delivery, or as a result of breastfeeding.
- In Uganda, it is estimated that 22,000 babies are being born with HIV each year (65 babies per day).
- In Tanzania, over 48,000 children are infected with HIV each year because of a shortage of PMTCT services. Of
the 596 people infected with HIV every day, 118 children are infected during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.3
To achieve the ambitious goal of Getting to Zero, the re-engagement of women living with HIV is required.
