China AIDS Initiative

Preventing Mother-To-Child
Transmission (pMTCT) of HIV

Our Mission

Eliminating Pediatric AIDS in China

Babies in the pMTCT program celebrate their first birthdays.

Antiretroviral treatment provided to HIV-infected mothers during pregnancy and to newborns at birth can reduce the mother-to-child transmission rate to less than 2%.

The China AIDS Initiative is building a comprehensive pMTCT program, working with local healthcare authorities to provide treatment, care and supporting social services in Yunnan, Hubei, Hebei, Anhui and Xinjiang provinces.

One Family’s Story

When HIV Strikes Home

The Zhangs’ healthy son.

Mrs. Zhang and her husband tested HIV+ when she was four months pregnant. Fearful and overwhelmed, they despaired their baby’s fate, and their own. Believing the child would be born infected—or if negative, soon orphaned—abortion seemed the only option.

A Mother’s Hope

Gao Liping, the Zhangs’ obstetrician, reassured Mrs. Zhang that with timely treatment she could live a long life and likely deliver a healthy baby. Stigma associated with HIV still troubles the family, and they prefer not to be photographed here. But the Zhangs are happy to show off their pride and joy—their eight-month old son.

A Doctor’s Passion

A Selfless Calling

Dr. Gao Liping.

Dr. Gao Liping is faithfully devoted to her work. By day she manages care for all HIV+ pregnant women at the Maternal Child Hospital in Linxiang, Yunnan. At night she visits outlying villages to see patients who cannot travel to the city.

Destinies Changed

Of the more than 180 infected women Gao Liping and other project colleagues have treated, just two mothers delivered HIV+ babies. Working with local health authorities, the China AIDS Initiative gives technical and financial support that enables Dr. Gao and other dedicated professionals to provide pMTCT interventions at the highest standards of care. Now Mrs. Zhang laughs, and cries, knowing her son will live out his destiny. Dr. Gao wipes tears away as well, and attends to her next patient. Such joy and sadness are often joined in her work.

What We Do

Raising Clinical and Diagnostic Standards

Dr. Gui Xi’en, Director of the Central China pMTCT Program, reviewing patient charts with junior colleagues.

Working with the Chinese government’s program to prevent mother-to-child transmission, the China AIDS Initiative is introducing best practices to reduce HIV transmission to <2% among enrolled women. Early infant diagnostics ensure that babies can be identified as HIV positive or negative by six weeks of age, rather than waiting until age 18 months.

Training Village, Township, and County Doctors

Village, township, and county doctors are being trained to provide HIV services including counseling, testing, antiretroviral therapy for the mother and baby, c-section if indicated, and reliable supply of formula for replacement feeding.

Counseling and Care

Psychological support is provided to HIV+ women and their families in monthly group meetings facilitated by trained counselors. Women join the group during their pregnancy and continue to participate after their babies are born. The group allows women to share their hardships, worries, hopes and joys in a mutually supportive environment.

Another focus is on keeping HIV-negative women negative through counseling and education, to build awareness of risk and teach methods and skills to reduce it.

The China AIDS Initiative is helping China reduce Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV from 33% to <2% in regions stricken by the epidemic.

Of the 42 million people living with HIV worldwide, 3.2 million are children. The virus is passed in utero, during delivery or while breastfeeding at an alarming 33% rate in untreated pregnancies.

Preventing Mother-To-Child Transmission (pMTCT) of HIV