Elimination Opportunities of HIV Transmission from Mother to Child in Kyrgyz Republic

Abstract

This article is investigating epidemiological features of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) development in Kyrgyzstan, as well as new cases of HIV-infected patients’ registration including young reproductive age women, which is directly leading to increase in their pregnancies, childbirth and children with perinatal exposure to HIV. Lack of effective, timely and adequate measures to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) leads to a direct increase in the number of HIV-infected children with vertical transmission. Initially, HIV infection in children was due to nosocomial infection and in recent years due to children birth by HIV-infected women against the backdrop of a high birth rate. Improvement of measures and optimization of PMTCT programs has led to a reduction in the risk of infection to 2.7%, which indicates a high possibility of eliminating perinatal HIV infection in the Kyrgyz Republic. The article is outlining optimizing programs main stages to reduce perinatal HIV infection from the moment of registration of the first HIV-infected pregnant woman, when antiretroviral drugs (ARV drugs) were not available, to the current stage of PMTCT using highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) during pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and newborn. A comparative analysis of national clinical protocols and clinical guidelines for PMTCT for 2005 to 2021 years implemented.