VOLUNTARY HIV/AIDS testing of pregnant women is expected to be extended to all public hospitals, clinics by 2006 to reduce the mother-to-child transmission rate of the disease, the health ministry announced yesterday.

The programme is expected to cost $50 million.

At the same time, the ministry said yesterday that more women were being infected with HIV/AIDS.

Dr Yitades Gebre, director of the National HIV/STI Control Programme at the Ministry of Health said yesterday that “in collaboration with many stakeholders in the private and public sector we have developed a strategic plan for 2002-6 by expanding the mother-to-child transmission programme to reach all pregnant mothers”.

The ministry had in 2000 established a voluntary testing programme, costing $12 million, to reduce mother-to-child transmission in St James, St Catherine, St Mary and Kingston and St Andrew in which 2,011 pregnant women volunteered to be tested for HIV. Twenty-four of the women tested positive for the disease.

At present, the health ministry gives anti-retroviral drugs to all HIV positive pregnant women in an effort to reduce the HIV transmission rate from mother-to-child.

“In 2001, HIV blood tests were done for over 4,164 pregnant women and one in 22 per cent tested positive, which means that of the total 52,000 expectant mothers in Jamaica, as many as 624 were HIV positive,” Gebre told reporters at a press briefing in Kingston.

He added that in the absence of the mother-to-child transmission programme the mothers would have given birth to 125 HIV positive babies.

The government also plans to:

* Establish 13 voluntary counselling and testing sites;

* Establish four regional HIV/AIDS specialty care centres;

* Introduce rapid HIV testing (results to be available in 15-20 minutes);

* Establish regional training centres for HIV/AIDS management; and

* Provide access to HIV/AIDS drugs through private and public partnerships.

Meanwhile, there has been a 10 per cent increase in the number of women infected with AIDS compared to men last year, which the ministry said was due to more women indulging in unprotected sex.

“Women continue to have unprotected sex with high-risk men, for various transactions or compensated sex which includes receiving money for sexual favours in order to pay bills such as rent or school fees,” said Gebre.

He said that last year there were 939 reported AIDS cases in Jamaica, with women accounting for 46 per cent.

February 11 to 15 is being observed as “Safe Sex Week” and among activities planned is a panel discussion on Valentine’s Day, February 14. The topic is “Sex, lies and politics”, and will be held at Le Meridien Jamaica Pegasus Hotel at 10:00 am. Panellists are university lecturer Dr Carolyn Cooper, dub poet Mutabaruka and psychologist Dr Peter Weller.