Mother to child HIV transmission rate decreases
HIV mother to child transmission has decreased from 3.2 percent in 2010 to only 1.5 percent in February 2014 according to Mayor Parks Tau.
During the State of the City Address Executive Mayor of the City Of Johannesburg Parks Tau, stated that the transmission rate of HIV from mother to child has decreased.
He said that the rate has decreased from 3.2 percent in 2010 to only 1.5 percent in February 2014.
“More than 96.1 percent of children under the age of one now benefit from our immunisation coverage, which is substantially above the national target of 90%,” said Tau.
He said in March the City opened new, state of the art clinics in Slovoville and Freedom Park which brings essential healthcare services closer to residents who previously had to travel as far as Coronationvillle and Leratong.
Tau said the City is working with the SADC Private Sector Constituency on Health led by Dr Brian Brink to launch interventions to partner on a number of projects which are:
• A pilot health information system drawing from the best practices in the private sector.
He said this will enable patients visiting facilities to have a single, complete health history which can be accessed by health practitioners in both the public and private sector.
• An exciting, new initiative aimed at youth to encourage them to maintain their HIV negative status.
• A healthy living lifestyle campaign including a strong focus on the workplace.
“By the end of September we will launch a nutrition pledge which can be signed by restaurants and other food companies,” he said.
