BANGKOK-The AIDS Research Center of the Thai Red Cross Society has revealed that its PREP program has successfully helped prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Speaking at an academic seminar on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, AIDS Research Center Director Dr. Prapan Panupak revealed that PREP is a program developed with the aim of eliminating HIV transmission between a pregnant woman and her baby.
PREP, which stands for Pre-Exposure Prophylais, has been implemented as a joint effort between the AIDS Research Center and the Department of Pediatrics, Chulalongkorn University. It was also created to honor Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsavali Kitiyakara, who is going to turn 60 on July 13th.
Under the program, HIV-infected women, who were more than 32-week pregnant when they joined PREP, have been given an HIV-inhibitor called raltegravi and three other types of anti-HIV drugs during the experiment. It has been revealed that 43 HIV-infected women have so far given birth to healthy and HIV-free newborns.
