Publications - Released in 2004
HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Viet Nam are escalating and HIV-infections are spreading from high-risk behaviour groups to the general population. This situation translates into larger numbers of women becoming infected with HIV and rising numbers of infants at risk of being infected by their mothers during pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding.
The fact that breastfeeding is one of the potential routes of transmission has created a difficult dilemma for policy makers and parents since in resource poor setting not breastfeeding represents another risk to infant health and life. Global guidelines addressing this dilemma of infant feeding in the context of HIV exist, but countries need to develop approaches that take into account their particular circumstances.