By Rosette Nandutu,

The Health ministry has registered a significant reduction in the mother-to-child HIV/Aids transmission, according to a new report released yesterday.

The report titled “An impact Evaluation Study of Programmes For the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT), was as a result of studies on antenatal clinic attendance, HIV/Aids testing and uptake of HIV/Aids treatment during pregnancy and after delivery.

While releasing the report, Health minister Jane Ruth Aceng said the findings confirmed that the risk of mother-to-child HIV/Aids transmission had significantly reduced over the past 20 years.

According to the ministry, the mother-to-child HIV/Aids transmission rates dropped from 30 percent in 2002 to 2.1 percent at the end of the impact evaluation study in 2019. 

During the study period, 49 out of the 12,218 infants enrolled for participation died after birth due to exposure to HIV/Aids during pregnancy. 

The 18 months follow-up study that was concluded in July 2019, also reveals that antennal care was vital in preventing mother-to-child transmission of the virus, as well as a reduction in new infections.