The world community is making progress in the elimination of new HIV infections among children as countries around the world joined forces toward an ambitious goal in ending pediatric AIDS and keeping mothers alive around the globe.
U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Eric Goosby said pediatric AIDS is now an artifact of history in the United States and Europe.
“Yet in many countries, nearly one baby is born with HIV every minute, despite us having the know-how to prevent it.”
– Mr. Goosby
Mr. Goosby says ensuring that all babies are born HIV-free must be a global priority and not left to a lottery of geography. He said children everywhere deserve a healthy start in life. He added they deserve a mother not just to help bring them into the world but to raise them.
“As we’ve learned from 30 years of struggle, extraordinary things happen when we work together. By uniting around our common humanity and our shared responsibility, we can change not just the course of the epidemic but the course of history for individuals, for families, and communities around the world.”-Mr. Goosby
Mr. Goosby stressed that HIV prevention was not possible everywhere. He added HIV treatment indeed was not impossible. He said the world thought the treatment could not be done in Africa.
“Together we ended pediatric AIDS in the developed world. Today we continue our journey toward building an HIV-free generation everywhere, starting at the beginning with the babies.”-Mr. Goosby
Mr. Goosby cited that the Global Task Team has created a global plan to eliminate new HIV infections among children.
According to Mr. Goosby, the plan focuses on national ownership. There are 22 countries which carry 90 percent of the global MTCT problem. He noted All of them were an integral part of the team. The plan reflects their views.
“Countries must lead, clearly or we will not be successful.”-Mr. Goosby
Mr. Goosby said the world has madee great strides together. He is optimistic that the world can do more with an opportunity to focus on putting a technical assistance strategy together that is responsive to the ministries of health.
