meeting. It will commit $50 million to provide life-long care and treatment to more than 10,000 women, children and other family members, in eight countries across Africa and
Asia.
This is the first time that such a treatment programme offers full support
to the extended family. Until now, all mother-to-child-transmission programmes
have focused only on the child itself. This is a major battle, won by
the many women who have fought for this kind of service for years.
The MTCT Plus programme will first be offered in 40 pilot sites. "We
are particularly honoured that Rwanda is one of the first countries in
this first wave of the programme," said Madame Kagame of Rwanda at
the programme's launch.
The women who are selected will receive treatment themselves and extended
support for all other family members who have HIV too. The programme will
treat individuals for life. It is likely that generic drugs approved by
UNICEF will be made available.
MTCT Plus is backed by the World Health Organisation, the Global Fund
for Aids, TB and Malaria, Colombia University's Mailman School of Public
Health and other private foundations. Sandra Thurman, the International
Aids Trust president, commented: "We have moved from saving babies
to saving and building families."
Progress on microbicides
At an earlier meeting, the Movement on Microbicides was discussed and
interesting outcomes for positive women were considered for the first
time. Robin Shattock from St George's Hospital Medical School, London,
told the session about products currently in clinical trials, which could
be on the market by 2007 (though 2010 might be a more realistic projection).
These gels and creams offer 60 per cent effectiveness and it's the compound
combinations that are leading the way.
But Promise Mthembu, a young UK South African living with HIV, who works
for ICW, raised the issue of why microbicides hadn't been researched as
a prevention method for HIV positive women.
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Both scientists and researchers present at the meeting admitted that this is an area of research thathas been overlooked. Steps will be taken in future to encourage more HIV
