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Malawi: New Study Holds Great Promise for Saving Lives by Significantly Reducing Transmission of HIV via Breast-Feeding
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Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation (Washington, DC)
PRESS RELEASE
14 July 2008
Posted to the web 15 July 2008
Washington, D.C.
Dr. Cathy Wilfert, senior technical advisor to the CEO for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, said today that a newly published study holds great promise for further reducing mother-to-child HIV transmission through breast milk. Research conducted in Malawi by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and published in the July 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrates that extending antiretroviral treatment for breast-feeding infants of HIV-positive mothers cut the rate of HIV transmission by as much as half. Hundreds of thousands of children a year are infected with the HIV virus via breast milk, so if subsequent research bears out these findings, and if the global community is able to deliver such treatment, tens of thousands of children could be spared infection.
As one of the first and largest providers of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services in sub-Saharan Africa, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation has been at the forefront of efforts to help HIV-positive pregnant women give birth to children free of the virus. Despite success in almost eradicating pediatric AIDS in the developed world, more than 1,100 babies are infected every day in resource-poor countries. Most of these infections occur during pregnancy, birth, or the first few months of life through breast-feeding.
Many PMTCT programs in the developing world currently administer a single dose of the antiretroviral drug nevirapine to pregnant mothers at the onset of labor, and a single dose to their babies shortly after birth. In the Malawi study, infants who received extended nevirapine treatment for 14 weeks, and those who received this longer regimen with an additional antiretroviral drug, saw a 51-percent and 40-percent decrease in HIV infection following birth, respectively, at nine months of age.
"The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation enthusiastically supports the results of this study and its potential impact on PMTCT programs worldwide," said Wilfert. "It is critical to continue to improve upon current standards of PMTCT in resource-limited settings, specifically with respect to breast-milk transmission. In addition, we must continue to increase the reach of these programs by managing the logistical barriers to access."
Although breast-feeding is one potential vector for mother-to-child transmission of HIV, it is also vitally important as the source of optimal nutrition for infants. The benefits of breast-feeding far outweigh the risks of transmission, even helping to boost infant immunity to disease later in life. Research funded in part by the Foundation and also published in the July 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine showed no benefits in early cessation of breast-feeding for keeping infants alive and HIV-free. In fact, the study, conducted in Zambia, showed an increased death rate among the babies who were HIV-infected and stopped breast-feeding earlier.
The Malawi study builds upon the Zambia study and gives promise that with a longer drug regimen, mothers can continue breast-feeding with a significantly reduced risk of HIV transmission to their child.
"Further research is necessary to extend the duration of protection for infants from 14 weeks to potentially the entire breast-feeding period," Wilfert added. "It will also be important to understand the implications for HIV drug resistance to nevirapine in the context of this and future studies."
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About the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
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The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is a worldwide leader in the fight against pediatric AIDS. Its innovative research programs, collaborative training initiatives, advocacy efforts, and rapidly expanding international prevention and treatment programs are bringing dramatic changes to the lives of children worldwide.
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| Copyright © 2008 Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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