<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div style="text-align:center"><font face="verdana, sans-serif" color="#0000ff"><b>WABA/ABM Joint Statement on World AIDS Day 2018: Know Your Status : a matter of HIV-free survival </b></font><br></div><div style="text-align:center"><font face="verdana, sans-serif" color="#0000ff"><b><br></b></font></div><div style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;border:none;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="color:black" lang="EN-US">Every week, around 7000 young women
aged 15–24 years become infected with HIV. In sub-Saharan Africa, three in four
new infections are among girls who are twice as likely to be living with HIV
than men.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;border:none;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="color:black" lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;border:none;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="color:black" lang="EN-US">On World AIDS Day
2018, UNAIDS is focusing on HIV testing. Testing for HIV allows you to seek HIV
treatment if you are HIV-positive or to protect yourself if you are
HIV-negative. Knowing your HIV status gives you the power to take control </span><span lang="EN-US">of<span style="color:black"> your health and well-being.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="color:black" lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US">HIV treatment, care, and support provide the means to
scale up prevention of vertical transmission to the next generation, cut new
infection rates and save the lives of mothers. HIV testing is usually the entry
point for HIV prevention or treatment. <span style="color:black">Early
detection of the HIV status of women will </span>provide an <span style="color:black">opportunity to start antiretroviral drug treatment.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US">Due to the high risk of acquiring HIV during
pregnancy, all pregnant women not living with HIV should be retested in the
third trimester, during labour and/or during the postpartum period. Early
treatment enables pregnant women to receive prompt antiretroviral treatment
(ART) for themselves and early antiretroviral (ARV) prophylaxis to reduce the
risk of transmission of HIV to their babies during pregnancy, birth, and
breastfeeding.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US">The risk of vertical transmission is particularly high
if a woman acquires a new HIV infection, leading to high viral levels in her
blood or milk while she is pregnant or breastfeeding. It is strongly
recommended that all HIV-exposed infants have virological testing at 4-6 weeks
or at the earliest opportunity thereafter. Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) of HIV
infection is critical to ensure optimal treatment outcomes for children.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="color:black" lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="color:black" lang="EN-US">With no interventions</span><span lang="EN-US">, <span style="color:black">~30-40% of infants born to HIV-positive
mothers may be infected during pregnancy, birth, after birth, or during
breastfeeding.</span> <span style="color:black">Maternal/infant ARV regimens
during pregnancy and breastfeeding greatly reduce vertical transmission of HIV.
</span>Postnatal transmission of HIV (i.e. through breastfeeding) can be
further reduced to 0-1% if pregnant women living with HIV have access to
effective lifelong ART upon diagnosis. <span style="color:black"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US">Infant mortality in the first year is very high in
untreated HIV-infected infants. HIV-exposed infants should get early HIV
testing with prompt return of results, rapid initiation of treatment and
receive continued breastfeeding in order to improve survival. Breastfeeding
also protects against other frequent causes of preventable child mortality such
as pneumonia, diarrhoeal diseases, and undernutrition.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;border:none;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="color:black" lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;border:none;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="color:black" lang="EN-US">Even when ARVs are not available,
breastfeeding may still provide infants born to HIV-infected mothers with a
greater chance of HIV-free survival. Mothers should be counselled to
exclusively breastfeed in the first six months of life and continue breastfeeding
thereafter unless environmental and social circumstances are safe for and
supportive of replacement feeding.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;border:none;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><a name="m_3543138834318565299__gjdgxs"></a><span style="color:black" lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;border:none;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US">The <span style="color:black">World Alliance of
Breastfeeding Action (WABA) has published the second edition of the HIV Kit -
Understanding International Policy on HIV and Breastfeeding. This</span> <span style="color:black">comprehensive resource</span> <span style="color:black">seeks
to inform about the concepts and recommendations for dealing with infant
feeding and HIV-free survival. The Kit was developed in close cooperation with
international reviewers, and endorsed by the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.
The complete Kit is now available </span><u><span style="color:rgb(17,85,204)"><a href="http://waba.org.my/understanding-international-policy-on-hiv-and-breastfeeding-a-comprehensive-resource/" style="color:blue" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(17,85,204)">online</span></a></span></u><span style="color:black">. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;border:none;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;border:none;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US">World AIDS Day 2018 reminds us to make HIV testing a priority.
Early testing/detection of HIV will enable people to make informed decisions
about breastfeeding in the context of HIV to ensure HIV-free survival. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;border:none;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;border:none;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="color:black" lang="EN-US">References:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;border:none;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u><span style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" lang="EN-US"><a href="https://knowyourstatus.unaids.org/" style="color:blue" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(17,85,204)">World
AIDS Day: Know Your Status, UNAIDS, 2018</span></a></span></u><span style="color:black" lang="EN-US"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;border:none;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u><span style="color:blue" lang="EN-US"><a href="http://waba.org.my/understanding-international-policy-on-hiv-and-breastfeeding-a-comprehensive-resource/" style="color:blue" target="_blank">Understanding
International Policy on HIV and Breastfeeding: a comprehensive resource, WABA
June 2018</a></span></u><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;border:none;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u><span style="color:blue" lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/media_asset/UNAIDS_FactSheet_en.pdf" style="color:blue" target="_blank">Fact
sheet - Latest statistics on the status of the AIDS epidemic, UNAIDS July 2018</a></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;border:none;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;border:none;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif" lang="EN-US">For more information, please contact:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;border:none;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif" lang="EN-US">WABA
Liaison Person:</span><span lang="EN-US"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Pei
Ching</span><span lang="EN-US"><br>
</span><span class="m_3543138834318565299gmail-MsoHyperlink" style="color:blue;text-decoration-line:underline"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><a href="mailto:aida.redza@waba.org.my" style="color:blue" target="_blank">peiching.chuah@waba.org.my</a></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><br>
<br>
</span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif" lang="EN-US">ABM
Liaison Person:</span><span lang="EN-US"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Elien
Rouw</span><span lang="EN-US"><br>
</span><span class="m_3543138834318565299gmail-MsoHyperlink" style="color:blue;text-decoration-line:underline"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><a href="mailto:aida.redza@waba.org.my" style="color:blue" target="_blank">elienrouw@t-online.de </a></span></span><span style="color:black" lang="EN-US"></span></p></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><font size="4" face="comic sans ms, sans-serif" color="#0000ff"><b><i>Pei Ching</i></b></font><div dir="ltr" class="m_3543138834318565299gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>Programme Coordinator, Health and Information </b></font></div><div><br></div><div><font size="1" face="verdana, sans-serif" color="#0000ff"><b>World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action</b></font></div><font size="1" face="verdana, sans-serif">Email: <a href="mailto:waba@waba.org.my" target="_blank">waba@waba.org.my</a></font><div><font size="1" face="verdana, sans-serif">Websites: <a href="http://www.waba.org.my" target="_blank">www.waba.org.my</a></font></div><div><font size="1" face="verdana, sans-serif"> <a href="http://www.worldbreastfeedingweek.org" target="_blank">www.worldbreastfeedingweek.org</a></font></div><div><font size="1" face="verdana, sans-serif"> <a href="http://www.breastfeedinggateway.org" target="_blank">www.breastfeedinggateway.org</a><br></font></div><div><br><font size="1" face="verdana, sans-serif"></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><img id="m_3543138834318565299gmail-pw_tpl" style="border:none;display:none;width:0px;height:0px" src="https://app.prosperworks.com/tp/t/Mzg2NzkyfHx8fHwyMDU4ODl8fHx8fDE1NDM1NjUwMDkzMTQ=/space.gif?creator=peiching.chuah@waba.org.my"></div><img id="m_3543138834318565299pw_tpl" style="border:none;display:none;width:0px;height:0px" src="https://app.prosperworks.com/tp/t/Mzg2NzkyfHx8fHwyMDU4ODl8fHx8fDE1NDM1NjUwMDkzMTQ=/space.gif?creator=peiching.chuah@waba.org.my"></div>
</div></div>