The Queen Elizabeth Hospital's (QEH) Programme For The Prevention Of Mother-to-child Transmission Of HIV (PMTCT) is bearing fruit, says consultant paediatrician Dr Anne St John.

Using stats from the first decade since the introduction of anti-retroviral drug therapy (ART) to HIV-infected pregnant women in 1996, St John said the absence of the therapy increased the chance of babies being born HIV-positive by 15 to 40 per cent.

Speaking at the HIV/AIDS Commission's Research Symposium on Monday, the researcher said 272 babies were delivered by HIV-infected pregnant women between 1996 and 2006.

The number of infected pregnant women who delivered infants increased from 19 in 1996 to 39 in 2006, varying over the years, with some of the women having repeated pregnancies, St John added.

"In the first five years of the study [between 1996-2000] there were 94 live births from HIV-infected women, five of which were born with the infection, giving a 5.5 per cent transmission rate," the doctor noted.

"In the second period [2001], out of 37 infected women having life births, three were infected, giving an 8.5 per cent transmission rate."

St John added that as a result of the rise in ratio, the HAART (Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy) protocol was introduced to pregnant women and a specialised centre for monitoring HIV-positive pregnant women was dedicated.

During the final period of the study [2002-2006], out of 118 children born to infected women four were diagnosed with the virus, a 3.3 per cent transmission rate.

The overall transmission rate for the decade was 4.4 per cent.

"This figure is quite high, particularly for a country promoting anti-retroviral therapy," St John surmised.

However, she added that the reduction of the rate to 3.3 per cent for the last five years was very rewarding for someone who had been working with the mothers and children over an extended period.

The Barbadian experience using the ART programme has been successful, St John concluded.

"I am convinced if we are more vigilant with these women . . . we can achieve two per cent or less," she added.

Thirteen presenters from medical, sociological, communications and anthropological disciplines delivered 20-minute papers on dealing with HIV/AIDS in Barbados at the symposium. (MS)