Chad: HIV/AIDS prevention for children

According to the latest UNAIDS report, the number of women over the age of 15 living with HIV in Chad in 2023 was approximately 65,000, with a prevalence rate of 1.3% among women aged 15 to 49. To combat the virus, the Government of Chad launched the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programme in 2005. The programme’s primary objectives are to safeguard children born to HIV-positive mothers during the pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding phases. The effectiveness of mother-to-child HIV care programmes has been noteworthy, with the rate of mother-to-child transmission of the disease decreasing from 29% in 2012 to 19% in 2023. According to the same UNAIDS report, by 2023, 91,000 children exposed to HIV had tested negative for the virus and 1,300 new childhood infections had been prevented. Pregnant women are voluntarily screened for HIV and, if the initial test is positive, a confirmatory test is conducted. Women who test positive are provided with free, comprehensive care, including counselling and antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. In 2023, 7,700 pregnant women in Chad sought ARV treatment, 70% of whom received it. The success of the PMTCT programme and its outcomes, particularly the fact that the vast majority of babies born HIV-free, is having a positive effect on the confidence of the population. In order to strengthen the capacities of midwives, doctors and paramedics as key workers in HIV/AIDS programmes, WHO has provided technical and financial support, as well as the development of national guidelines.