Zero MTCT

I am a peer educator and an HIV activist. One thing that has kept perplexing me is that there are countries around the world where HIV is almost controlled, and yet we have others that seem not to be doing anything about it. Sub Sahara is a point in question where I feel very little has been done.

I keep wondering what some countries have done which we in Sub Saharan Africa can't do, that we still have high HIV infection rates? Isn't it possible to learn from the others what they have done, and from there we also implement measures that will halt the pandemic? Why have we continued to be the HIV production unit? Someone out there help please.

Can we reach a stage where we can register zero MTCT? Can we put in place such strategies like sex workers accounting for condoms they use? Can we see bye laws in communities compelling individuals to reveal their HIV status each time they have sex? Can there be partner tracing to tell who infected who? Can people begin to be put on ART immediately they discover they are HIV positive? If one has malaria, do doctors say they should wait until the parasites have reached full count and they have splitting headaches? But why is HIV infection tolerated till one's body tissues are all damaged and they have CD4 count of 200 (which is about 3 to 4 years from the time of infection) that's when they will be given medication? Isn't it one's human right to access treatment as soon as they think they are sick? So to whose advantage then is the waiting for CD4 count to drop to that low? Is it an economic explanation by the governments who can't manage to put the full HIV positive population on ART? Can anyone out there pleas answer me now?