Dominican HIV/AIDS Reduction Project Seen as Model for Other Countries in the Region to Follow

Dominican HIV/AIDS Reduction Project Seen as Model for Other Countries in the Region to Follow
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 12/4/2011

The Dominican initiative seeks to decrease pediatric HIV infection by supporting HIV-positive pregnancies and providing treatment that would preclude transmission to the unborn baby.

The document was recognized and evaluated through an excellent presentation entitled: Strengthening community services and its connection to health services as a strategy to reduce mother-child HIV transmission in the Dominican Republic.

The initiative “Community Support for the National Program for the Reduction of Vertical Transmission of HIV/AIDS,” developed by the Office of the First Lady (DPD in Spanish), is seem as a model program for other countries in the region to follow. Commentaries on this Dominican program were heard at the “HIV in the Caribbean Conference” recently held in Nassau, Bahamas where 2,500 people from 34 countries took part.

The document was recognized and evaluated through an excellent presentation entitled: Strengthening community services and its connection to health services as a strategy to reduce mother-child HIV transmission in the Dominican Republic.

The project stresses the increase of HIV testing among pregnant women, organizing information on cases, facilitating access to health centers, follow-up, pre-natal and infant medical attention, improving contact among Comprehensive Health Care Service providers, offer better emotional and psychological support and pay special attention to HIV-positive pregnancies, among other suggestions, make up the contributing principles of this project.

Members of the project contacted and provided follow-up of 12,000 pregnancies in the various regions around the country which included members and non-members of the Progresando Program. Of these, 150 cases of HIV-positive pregnancies were found; the women received special treatment during their infant’s gestation process.

The project is being carried out with technical support of the Presidential Council on AIDS and economic support from the World Forum Foundation. Coordination is being done by the Ministry of Public Health.

Currently the program is underway in Samaná, Sánchez, Las Terrenas, El Seibo, Miches, Hato Mayor, Barahona, Azua, Monte Plata, Sabana Grande de Boyá, Bayaguana, Yamasá, Villa Mella, Don Juan, Boca Chica, San Pedro de Macorís, San Isidro and Municipio de Guerra.

Dominican First Lady, Margarita Cedeño de Fernández, believes it is of vital importance to reduce the vertical transmission of HIV/AIDS. To that end, she has provided community networks through the Progresando Program with the goal of building bridges between the homes of HIV-positive pregnant women and health centers.