Every Child Deserves a 5th Birthday weekly theme is PMTCT

"The Every Child Deserves a 5th Birthday theme for this week is prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT)," an e-mail alert from USAID reports, noting, "PMTCT provides HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support services for the whole family and is the most effective way to create an HIV-free generation." According to USAID, "when a mother receives antiretroviral therapy, the risk of mother-to-child transmission drops from about 40 percent to near zero." The e-mail states, "USAID and the global community are committed to accelerating progress and scale-up of PMTCT, with the goal of eliminating new pediatric HIV infections by 2015 and improving maternal, newborn, and child survival and health in the context of HIV" (5/29).