A generation free from HIV in Zimbabwe | World AIDS Day feature

Nearly 1,200 children become infected with HIV every day. In Zimbabwe, helping the next generation to be free of HIV is crucial to stopping its spread.

More than 90% of HIV infections in children happen when the virus is passed from a mother to her baby during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding. But the majority of these child HIV infections are preventable.

This World AIDS Day, see how the UK Government is supporting the Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation to help Zimbabwe’s mums protect their babies from the virus.

Core Facts

Wednesday 1 December marks World AIDS Day. Get the full story on the DFID website.
280,000 children die of AIDS every year, mostly in sub-Saharan African countries like Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwe programme provides antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to pregnant, HIV positive women before and after they give birth, helping to prevent the transmission of the virus to their babies.
Antiretrovirals (ARV) decrease the amount of virus in the mother's bloodstream, reducing the risk that she will transmit the infection to her baby.
ARV drugs also have a protective effect on the child before and after birth, helping them to resist HIV infection.
The UN estimates that the use of antiretrovirals has averted an estimated 200,000 new HIV infections in children over the last 12 years.
The UK Government is working with partners to increase the percentage of HIV-infected women who receive ARV treatment up to 80% by 2010.
The UK's long term support for HIV prevention in Zimbabwe has helped it reduce HIV infection rates from 24% of the adult population in the early 2000s to 14% in 2009.
A free feature article, following Claris Chauruka's family story, is available for reproduction at www.dfid.gov.uk/HIVfree
All photos are free to use under a Creative Commons "Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs" licence and must be credited: Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
More images are available as part of a full gallery complete with captions - please contact Catherine Belfield-Haines.

Videos

Images

Quotes

When I became pregnant I took a routine HIV test and found out I was positive. I enrolled in the programme but I kept my status a secret. A counsellor introduced me to a support group of other HIV positive mothers. I realised I wasn’t alone and that my baby didn’t have to be born HIV positive. I have since been blessed with an HIV free son.

Patience Mapfumo, mother in Zimbabwe

We want to speed up the fight against HIV/AIDS by investing British aid based on our knowledge of what is needed, what is working and what will deliver the best results. That's why we will focus on evidence-based action, on innovative solutions and on tackling underlying issues fuelling the HIV epidemic.

Andrew Mitchell, UK International Development Secretary