Preventing mother-to-child transmission in Ecuador
28 September 2006
(This article is also available in Spanish)
Corporación Kimirina, the Alliance linking organisation in Ecuador, has played a key role in the development of a new national prevention campaign aimed primarily at preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The campaign, which forms part of broader efforts to reduce HIV incidence in Ecuador, also aims to prevent HIV among young people, and to provide treatment and support to those already infected.
Corporación Kimirina, along with UNICEF, Ecuador’s Ministry of Public Health, and REDSIDAzuay, worked to develop and deliver the campaign, with support from the Red Cross and Catholic Relief Services in Ecuador. Aware of the challenges and limitations of broad public behaviour change campaigns, the team wanted to develop a systematic and sustainable process where pregnant women and their partners become aware of the possibility of transmission and take an HIV test. They consulted pregnant women to understand the most appropriate approach, and sought input from local and international NGOs.
The campaign stresses the importance of taking an HIV test at the time of the first antenatal consultation, promoting the benefits of maintaining health and the importance of a loving and tender approach in bringing a new life into the world. Materials include flyers, leaflets and badges, a manual aimed at health staff, information for official spokespeople, slots on TV and radio, life stories and materials for the national press.
The Ministry of Public Health launched the campaign on 26 July 2006 at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences. Pregnant women were well represented and they, along with other members of the public, visited stands where the campaign materials were displayed.
Corporación Kimirina continues to actively participate in all Ministry of Health activities, providing technical support on sexuality and on HIV, to help empower Ecuadorians to reduce the country’s HIV incidence. “One of the key axes of the work around sexuality and HIV is appropriate and timely information management,” confirmed Amira Herdoíza, executive director of Corporación Kimirina.
