By Jennifer Schechter (for PMTCT Program Coordinator) | Executive Director
The Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) program supported by Hope Through Health (HTH) provides expecting moms with the care and treatment they need to decrease the risk of passing HIV to their children. In the Kara Region of northern Togo, a child must be 18 months of age before it can be conclusively tested for HIV. Thus new moms have to wait under their children reach 18 months old before they know for sure whether their child is truly HIV-free. We are thrilled to report that throughout the course of 2010, 44 children who were born through the PMTCT program celebrated their 18-month birthdays by testing negative for HIV. In many cases, this event proved to be one of the happiest moments in a new mother's life. As one new mom explained, “When I learned that my baby was HIV negative, I was overjoyed. I gained weight, I became healthier and I no longer worried about passing HIV to my child. My fear disappeared." Thanks to your support HTH will continue to provide essential services to ensure that the next 44 children born to mothers living with HIV in Togo are also born HIV-free.
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