Breakthrough in Thailand: Elimination of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission

HIV Advocates aims to share HIV-related news to people all over the world. Like many, it advocates dissemination of information and education to have a better understanding of HIV, including its consequences, and more importantly, how to survive with such. We are one with the many in rejoicing when a breakthrough has been achieved. Among others, one that we widely celebrated is the news that Thailand eliminated mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV. With more than half a million people in the country who have HIV, this is indeed good news. Even World Health Organization congratulated the country for this feat.

The HIV epidemic in Thailand started in the beginning of the 1990s.  In as early as 1988, however, the country has already registered its first case of HIV in a pregnant woman. In recent years, cases of MTCT were believed to be more than 20%. Its elimination, no wonder, has been welcomed news, especially by the WHO.

How exactly is Thailand able to eliminate MTCT? There are various ways, and one of such is the strengthening of maternal and child care policies. They have executed a national AIDS prevention measure and introduced anti-retroviral medicines. Through the latter, it has been asserted that the risk of transmitting HIV to children during pregnancy, breastfeeding, delivery, and labor is reduced to just a little over 1%, which is a significant improvement from the previous probability of 15 to 45%.

In 2000, based on the country’s statistical data, there are more than 1,000 children who had HIV. In 2015, it has been significantly reduced to 85. This is decrease of more than 90%, an achievement that is recognized by WHO. For mothers, on the other hand, in 2000, there are more than 15,000 of them who had HIV. By 2014, meanwhile, it has been reduced to 1,900. This is an 87% decrease. The government has provided equitable access to healthcare for both the rich and the poor, which is probably one of the reasons for the reduction of MTCT, or HIV cases in general.

Thailand is just one of the many countries that have been earlier validated by WHO for the elimination of MTCT of HIV. Other countries who share the same accomplishment include Armenia and Republic of Moldova. At HIV Advocates, just like many others, we hope that this is going to inspire other governments to be also proactive in their approach in fighting HIV and to develop robust policies to extend universal care to their citizens.

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