Cayman Islands move towards elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV and congenital syphilis
- Dr. Karina Palmer- Chair, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist , HSA
- Mrs. Laura Elniski, HIV Programme Coordinator
- Dr. A. K Kumar, Medical Officer of Health
- Dr. Samuel Williams Clinical Head of General Practice Department, HSA
- Ms Janett Flynn, Senior Policy Advisor, Ministry of Health
- Dr. Chela Lamsee Ebanks , Peadiatrician , HSA
- Mr. Timothy McLaughlin, PH Surveillance Officer , HSA
- Mrs. Marcella Greaves, Midwife, HSA
- Mrs. Judith Clarke, Laboratory Manager, HSA
- Mrs. Lavern Swaby, Peadiatrician, HSA
- Mrs. Hamerika Black-Walters, Midwife Maternity Ward, HSA
- Dr. James Robertson, Peadiatrician (private sector)
- Dr. Rommel El-Madany, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist (private sector)
- Reduction of MTCT of HIV transmission to 2% or less
- Reduction of the incidence of MTCT of HIV to 0.3 cases or less per 1000 live births
- Reduction of the incidence of congenital syphilis to 0.5 cases or less per 1000 live births.
- All pregnant women should be screened for HIV as early as possible during each pregnancy.
- Women with HIV who take antiretroviral medication during pregnancy as recommended can reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to their babies to less than 1%. Globally, only 35% of infants born to mothers living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries received an HIV test within the first two months of life.
- Only 28% of children under 15 living with HIV in low- and middle- income countries received antiretroviral treatment for the virus, as compared with 54% for adults.
- In the Cayman Islands pregnant women over 25 years are routinely tested for HIV and Syphilis
- The last reported case of an HIV positive mother in the Cayman Islands was in 2004.
- The last reported case of mother to child transmission (MTCT) in the Cayman Islands was in 2004.
Published July 17, 2014
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