Healthy Living, Youth and Seniors Minister Jim Rondeau announced the province will help mothers living with HIV access free baby formula to help prevent mother-to-child transmission of the virus.
“We’ve worked very closely with our partners to develop a program that will allow mothers living with HIV to safely feed their infants without fear of HIV transmission,” Rondeau said.
There are approximately 10 to 15 infants born to HIV positive mothers a year in Manitoba. This new initiative is part of the province’s ongoing commitment to help improve the delivery of care and treatment for those living with HIV-AIDS, and ensure those who test positive for HIV have more immediate and accessible care when they need it, said the minister.
“The Nine Circles Community Health Centre applauds the province for taking this necessary step,” Michael Payne, executive director of Nine Circles said. “Providing formula to women living with HIV is an essential tool in the prevention of HIV.”
The province continues to fund programs throughout Manitoba, including Strengthening Families, Our Selves, Our Daughters, Play It Safer Network, Safer Choices Northern Network, the 595 Prevention Team, and the Sexuality Education Resource Centre, that work to promote sexual health and wellness, including sexually transmitted blood-borne infections (STBBI) prevention, through increased education, services and resources, Rondeau said. These and other programs use a peer-based, harm reduction approach to improving sexual health and substance use awareness, he said, adding they have an overall goal of minimizing impacts and reducing the number of newly acquired STBBIs including HIV-AIDS.
Manitobans are encouraged to teach young people good sexual health habits that can prevent sexually transmitted infections and consider regular HIV testing, which can include point-of-care testing done on site and provides a result within 30 minutes, as part of their overall health care, Rondeau said
