A program on prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV at government hospital, Tiruchengode taluk, Namakkal district

UNAIDS states that mother to child transmission (MTCT) is the largest source of HIV infection in children below the age of 15 years.(1) According to National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), it is estimated that about 30,000 infants acquire HIV infection each year.(2) Tamil Nadu Sentinel surveillance for 2004, showed that the median positivity rate of HIV infection among the antenatal women was 0.65% (range 0-3.7%)(3) and in 2005 it was 0.50%. Prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) program has been established at the Tiruchengode government hospital (Tiruchengode taluk, Namakkal district) in November 2002 by the Department of Experimental Medicine of the Tamilnadu Dr. MGR Medical University. This was the first PMTCT program in India that has been established at a taluk hospital. The objective of the program was to establish a PMTCT center and offer antiretroviral prophylaxis to all HIV positive pregnant women and their infants.