According to official data, 725 HIV-positive children (under 18) were registered in Kyrgyzstan as of November 1,2021. Doctor at the Republican AIDS Center, Erkin Tostokov, told 24.kg news agency.
According to him, parenteral or nosocomial transmission accounts for 391 cases (or 54 percent), while vertical transmission (from mother to child) accounts for 284 cases (or 39.2 percent). The route of transmission was not identified in 46 cases. Parenteral intravenous drug injection and sexual route of transmission account for two (long-lasting) cases each.
Eighty-seven minors died during the entire period.
Erkin Tostokov explained the small annual increase in the vertical route of transmission. «Previously, pregnant women were tested for HIV once — at the time of registration. At that time, they could get a negative result, but they could get infected later — before giving birth or even while breastfeeding the baby. Taking these points into account, we have introduced double testing of pregnant women — at registration and in the last trimester. The problem is that some women refuse monitoring and therapy.»
«Antiretroviral therapy does not affect fetal development. This has been proven by years of research. There is nothing to be afraid of, on the contrary, you need to take the medication. Viral load tests and medications for both children and adults are free in Kyrgyzstan,» the doctor stressed.
