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Health authorities are raising concerns over a sharp increase in HIV cases among pregnant women and newborns, stressing that no baby should be born with HIV given today’s effective treatments.

Acting Head of the National HIV Response Taskforce Dr. Dashika Balak says vertical transmission from mother to child is rising despite available medications and interventions.

Recent data shows babies born with HIV has risen from 8 to 31 cases in recent years. Adolescent HIV cases among those aged 10 to 19 have surged 45-fold over three years.

Dr. Balak highlighted that most infections among young people are linked to sharing needles and unsafe sexual practices, underscoring the urgent need for education, prevention, and access to treatment.

Dr Dashika Balak says many pregnant women are seeking care late, risking delayed HIV treatment.

“We have also seen that most of our females who come for booking are quite late stage, or some of them are also not booked. And so this is where we would like to encourage all pregnant women to have their booking done as early as possible, so that if they do have the infection, they are tested and linked to treatment and care as soon as possible. Because we have seen how powerful treatment is in preventing mother-to-child transmission.”

Dr Balak says the focus is on encouraging women to come forward and access essential health services.

“So again, I think it’s bringing the women to come and access services. That’s where we all play a huge role in by advocating for it. We really need to tell our, especially young women, who are sexually active, who are maybe using drugs to come up and get themselves tested.”

Uniting World Church of Australia Alice Salomon Health is calling on faith-based organizations and communities to support awareness and reduce stigma around HIV testing and treatment.

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