The Brazilian government on Wednesday launched a program aimed at reducing the congenital transmission of such diseases as AIDS and syphilis.
The Ministry of Health said the government plans to spend 38.8 million reais (21.34 million U.S. dollars) on buying anti-retrovirus drugs, lactation inhibitors, HIV/syphilis tests and infantile formulas in efforts to help pregnant women and theirunborn or newly-born children.
By 2011, the annual number of HIV tests on pregnant women is expected to jump from the current 1.4 to 2.3 million in the country, and syphilis tests from 2.1 to 4.8 million.
The ministry also said it will add 16 million reais (8.8 million dollars) to the amount it currently channels to state and municipal governments for their fight against the congenital infection of those diseases.
According to the latest report released by the government, some530 cases of HIV-virus transmission from mothers to babies during pregnancy in 2005 were registered, down 48.5 percent from the 1,091 cases registered in 1996.
The report also showed that in 2005, 5,710 cases of congenital syphilis disease were registered. But the government treated that figure with suspicion as it estimated that the real figure is around 12,000.
Source:Xinhua
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