With a view to reduce and prevent the incidence of Mother To Child HIV Transmission (MTCT), the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) is planning to launch a three drug regimen for pregnant women with HIV+ in select states across the country. This national level programme is expected to be rolled out by NACO in two to three months time in a phased manner.

Sources in the Mumbai Districts AIDS Control Society (MDACS) informed that initially this programme will be launched by NACO as a pilot project across select states in the country with high incidence of HIV infection for better screening. All the costs relating to its implementation will be borne by NACO and once the results of the pilot project is analysed, this programme is expected to be implemented in a full-fledged manner in all the cities across the country. MDACS will be handling the implementation of this programme across Mumbai and its suburbs.

According to the available data, on an average approximately 700 plus women are infected with HIV annually which is a scary figure to deal with and demands urgent attention.

For the effective implementation of the same the government has already identified all the public hospitals and facilities in the select areas wherein women with HIV infection are registered and currently undergoing treatment. However through this programme NACO plans to screen and test every women who are pregnant against HIV infection so that they can prevent any chances of mother to child infection.

Sources said that in case during the screening any women show positive test results they will be linked to the NACO's Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) centres wherein they will be given proper medications and counselling to ensure zero transmission of the infection to the child.

The transmission of HIV is possible from an HIV-positive mother to her child during pregnancy, labour, delivery or breastfeeding and thus it is called mother-to-child transmission.

Through this programme the government aims to link every women with HIV infection to the ART centre so that they can also be scrutinised and given appropriate medical help in time. The aim behind this programme will be to prevent the vertical transmission of HIV/AIDS from parents to child, to provide the services of counselling and to provide the facility for blood testing.