Last year the ANC-led government introduced new antiretroviral, ARV, drug guidelines, which include the treatment of mothers at an early stage of the illness.
According to a survey done by the Medical Research Council - the first ever rigorous national evaluation of all nine provinces - the programme has yielded results with a 96,5% success rate in wiping out transmission from infected pregnant mothers. During the survey babies aged between four and eight weeks were tested at 580 sites across South Africa between June and December last year. The study will be repeated this year and in 2012 to evaluate transmission rates over three years and babies will be tracked until they are 18 months.
The prevention of mother-to-child transmission remains one of our major challenges. Therefore, the ANC-led government will continue to roll out programmes to prevent transmission of HIV.
The SA National Aids Council is also currently developing a new five-year strategy plan on HIV and tuberculosis, TB. [Time expired.]