New Process to Validate the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Represents Tremendous Progress in the Effort to End AIDS in Children

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Johanna Harvey: jharvey@pedaids.org or +1 (202) 280-1657

Ryan Henson: RHenson@pedaids.org or +1 (202) 280-1537

Washington, D.C.—June 30, 2015— “Today’s announcement that Cuba is the world’s first country to receive official validation from the World Health Organization (WHO) for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (eMTCT) represents tremendous progress in the global effort to end AIDS in children,” said Stephen Lee, M.D., vice president of program implementation and country management at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF). “This new validation process will play a critical role in tracking and understanding progress in the fight to end the AIDS epidemic, particularly as many more countries, including those in sub-Saharan Africa where the pediatric HIV/AIDS burden is the highest, are poised to undergo eMTCT validation in the near future. At EGPAF, we are committed to working with governments, partners, donors, and communities to improve access to HIV treatment and prevention in order to create a world where no child has AIDS.”

About the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF):
EGPAF is the global leader in the fight against pediatric HIV/ AIDS and has reached more than 20 million women with services to prevent transmission of HIV to their babies. It currently supports more than 7,000 health facilities and works in 15 countries to implement prevention, care, and treatment services; to further advance innovative research; and to execute global advocacy activities that bring dramatic change to the lives of millions of women, children, and families worldwide. For more information, visit pedaids.org.