Hope-for-HIV2011 will be remembered as the year that a Global Plan to eradicate HIV and AIDS infections in mothers and children was launched by a number of players including UNAIDS (joint United Nations programme on HIV / AIDS and PEPFAR (the US Presidents’ Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Investment amounting to $150 million has been added to the already US$300 million annual fund provided by PEPFAR.  The investment has been made by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ($40 million), Chevron ($20 million) and Johnson & Johnson ($15 million).  These amounts equalled that of US$75 million, additionally pledged by PEPFAR.

The initiatives taken by the various role players show the intention to “ensure that such initiatives are fully integrated into family planning and maternal, new born and child health programmes”.  This sentiment is echoed by Stefano Bertozzi, Director of HIV and Tuberculosis at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Johnson & Johnsons dream of the day espoused “that no baby will be born HIV positive and todays pledge continues the J&J enduring commitment to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV”.

It is anticipated that by ensuring women in 22 of the countries carrying the highest burden have access to quality care, remarkable strides can be made where the assistance is required the most.

Here are some of the most compelling plusses regarding this Global Plan initiative which is predicted to be in place by the year 2015:

  • Empowerment of communities to support those with HIV /AIDS  by providing the treatment and care that is required
  • National and Global leaders supporting this enterprise will be held accountable
  • The rights of HIV+ women is to be respected and their children accepted, acknowledged and assisted by the community in which they live
  • All women, especially those who are pregnant have access to quality life-saving HIV prevention and treatment.  This access is extended to children of these women as well.

The 22 countries identified as having the highest estimate of HIV-positive pregnant women in the project are:

Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Moҫambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe