Vertical HIV transmission dropped 50% in Brazil

A report released Monday (July 13) by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) as part of the celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the Statute of the Child and Adolescent (ECA) shows that the number of children under five years old in Brazil who contracted AIDS from their mothers halved between 1995 and 2013.

The UNICEF survey further found that, in line with global trends, AIDS prevalence among boys aged between 15 and 19 years old rose 53%, posing a challenge to the country. In this age group, HIV occurs 30% more among boys than girls. Moreover, boys who have sex with other boys are 10 times more likely to be infected with HIV than those not engaging in male homosexual practices.

According to UNICEF, Brazil needs to improve the availability of prevention, testing and care services targeted at teenagers. The Ministry of Health has been focusing on talking directly to young audiences as a strategy in its awareness campaigns.

According to the report, Rede Cegonha, a range of services focused on prenatal, birth, and postnatal care, birth safety and healthy child development, implemented in 2011 by the Brazilian government, has improved pregnancy and newborn care. This is reflected in lower mother-to-child HIV transmission rates.

UNICEF warns, however, that data related to congenital syphilis in Brazil shows an increase in syphilis in infants under one year old, going from 1.1 to 4.7 in every 1,000 live births between 1998 and 2013, which suggests deficiencies in prenatal care. The disease can cause miscarriage, neonatal death, premature birth, and malformation.

Translated by Mayra Borges