200 HIV positive babies are born in Mizoram annually

An estimated 200 babies are born annually with HIV through their mothers in Mizoram, Unicef consultant Lallianzuala said in Aizawl today.

Addressing a two-day training on Follow-up Care for HIV Exposed Infants for medical officers and counsellors, Lallianzuala said there have been 22,000 to 26,000 pregnant woman in the state annually.

Out of which 0.8% are exposed to HIV and if proper care and treatment are not provided more than 100 infants would die of AIDS between the age of one to four, he said.

State health minister Lalrinliana Sailo, while addressing the training said that blood samples of 17,729 pregnant women were tested during last year and efforts were being made to test the blood samples of at least 22,000 pregnant women this year.

Sailo said that efforts should be made to ensure that all the women receive counselling and HIV tests during pregnancy to avoid high rate of infant mortality due to infection of HIV in the prenatal stages.