Yvonne Ravula 
HIV cases among infants are on the rise as more expectant mothers test positive for the virus.
HIV Prevention and Community-Led Programme Lead Dr. Emeli Turara says that for every 100 antenatal bookings, three women are now diagnosed with HIV.
Dr Turara says that the trend suggests significant gaps in early detection, with many cases only identified late in pregnancy or after previous negative results.
Dr Emeli Turara highlighted some troubling statistics on HIV cases.
“And from last year, 59 babies were diagnosed with HIV. So they were born with HIV. So, an increase in the mother-to-child transmission is where we are seeing it. From 2024, there were 31 cases recorded. And over the span of one year, we had increased up to 59 babies and an average of at least one baby dying every month.”
Sexual Reproductive Health and HIV response Taskforce representative Dr Dashika Balak from the SRH and HIV Unit says some women are accessing their services too late.
She notes that there is an increased number of infections among children born to mothers who have HIV, mainly among groups of women who may have been unbooked or late bookers.
She says even women who initially test negative can later acquire HIV during pregnancy, often through their partners.
Balak states that they initially tested negative but over the course of the pregnancy some acquired HIV and this is a new trend because these women may not have risk behaviors but it’s their partners who have risky behaviors.
Officials say mother-to-child transmission is preventable, but warn that without early testing and awareness, more babies could be born with HIV as cases continue to rise.
