UNICEF, WHO, and several other international organizations promoted breastfeeding this week in recognition of World Breastfeeding Week, but the decision to breastfeed a child becomes more complicated and controversial when the mother learns she has HIV. Can breastfeeding be safe and healthy when the mother is infected with HIV?



In 2010, WHO released new guidelines on HIV and infant feeding, which can be found in K4Health’s recently updated Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) Toolkit. Although there are many similarities to the previous guidelines from 2006, the new guidelines focus on maximizing the likelihood of “HIV-free survival,” not just reduction of the likelihood of HIV transmission, in order to maximize the health and nutrition of the baby and mother as well as minimize the risk of HIV transmission. Depending on the circumstances, the nutritional and health benefits of exclusive breastfeeding may outweigh the risks of exposure to HIV in breast milk. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of diarrheal disease, malnutrition, and other common causes of child morbidity and mortality, which may pose a greater danger than the potential risk of HIV transmission through breast milk. New evidence also shows that treatment of the mother with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) significantly reduces the risk of transmitting HIV through breast milk.



The new guidelines also focus on establishing national or sub-national recommendations so that health providers in a given area can consistently recommend either exclusive breastfeeding with ARVs or replacement feeding based on the resources available, access to ARVs, the cultural norms, HIV prevalence, and the common causes of infant and child morbidity and mortality. However, it is also recommended that providers inform mothers about their options and discuss the alternatives.



The theme of this year’s breastfeeding week focuses on communication as an essential component of protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding. Communication between mothers, their families, and their health providers is necessary to ensure that families understand and can implement the provider’s recommendations for the infant feeding plan. 

After thirty years of the HIV global pandemic, a vast amount has been learned about HIV and AIDS, but not enough to cure it. What started as the appearance of an unknown cancer affecting only homosexual males in America has become one of the most dominant global health issues today. By 2009, there were 33 million people infected with HIV/AIDS and around 2 million deaths from AIDS.



On June 13th, at the United Nations High-Level Meeting on AIDS, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for a global commitment to eliminate AIDS by 2020.



“That is our goal – zero new infections, zero stigma and zero AIDS-related deaths,” Ki-Moon said.



This strong statement challenges all of us in the global health community to reflect on current knowledge and to seek rapid response solutions. Once considered a death sentence, now prevention efforts include all levels of public health interventions: primary, secondary, and tertiary. The efforts of public health professionals in the field of HIV/AIDS are complex and include ideas of drug adherence, primary HIV transmission prevention, MTCT, and new innovations such as microbicide gel and the female condom.



With over 130 sessions, the Global Health Council 2011 Conference (GHC) carried the theme of "Securing a Healthier Future in a Changing World" and focused on topics ranging from non-communicable diseases to maternal health. However, the United Nations recent call for HIV eradication in the next nine years positions eliminating HIV/AIDS as a monumental step toward a healthier future. Some of the sessions at this year’s conference highlight the need for new and improved strategies for HIV education, prevention, and treatment -- all of which encourage new innovations in the area of HIV/AIDS.