Missing Targets: Failing Women, Failing Children: HIV Vertical Transmission and Women's Health, International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (2009)

This report, published by the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC), investigates why the world is missing its target, set back in 2001, to reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission by half. Based on extensive research on the ground, the report describes how two-thirds of the 1.5 million HIV-positive pregnant women each year in the developing world do not have access to treatment that would prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission. The report further shows that while only one-third of HIV-positive pregnant women receive any kind of drug therapy at all, this therapy is often inadequate and fails to prevent vertical transmission; meanwhile, more effective preventive treatments exist and are routinely administered in wealthier countries. While mother-to-child HIV transmission has been virtually eliminated in the developed world, developing countries witness over 900 avoidable HIV infections every day. The report found that one of the key reasons for the failure to stem vertical transmission is the narrow emphasis on administering antiretroviral prophylaxis to infants, while ignoring other essentials, like prevention, counseling, and care and treatment services for women and children. The report also gives individualized assessments of HIV programs in six countries: Argentina, Cambodia, Moldova, Morocco, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Given the data, the report calls on governments, UN agencies, donors, and civil society as a whole to reassess strategies, as well as to improve collaboration and coordination on all levels, clarify priorities and goals, and increase funding for HIV programs.