MINISTER of Health Dr Fenton Ferguson says the Government is working towards the total elimination of mother to child transmission of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and syphilis in Jamaica by 2015.

This will be done under the National Paediatric AIDS Elimination Initiative, which was launched at the Wyndham Hotel in New Kingston on Friday.

Director of Health Promotion and Protection in the Ministry Dr Kevin Harvey read a statement by the health minister, in which he outlined that the programme will seek to ensure that the rate of mother to child transmission of HIV is equal to, or less than, two per cent (0.3 cases per 1000 live births); and the incidence of congenital syphilis equal to, or less than 0.5 cases per 1000 live births.

He noted that since 2002, Jamaica has been able to reduce mother to child transmission of HIV from 25 per cent to less than five per cent through appropriate interventions.

Dr Ferguson pointed out that under this new initiative, the ministry, in collaboration with its partners, the University of the West Indies and the National Health Fund (NHF), are not only seeking to build on the gains made thus far, but also to totally eliminate vertical mother to child transmission of HIV and syphilis over the next three years.

“Three of the eight Millennium Development Goals the world commits to achieving by 2015, speaks to combating HIV/AIDS, reducing child mortality and improving maternal health. Under the Paediatric AIDS Elimination Initiative, Jamaica will be able to make further progress in all three areas,” he stated.

Dr Ferguson also said that under the programme, the four regional health authorities will continue to provide follow-up patient care to HIV infected mothers and their babies at the island’s major obstetric hospitals and clinics.