HIV Prevalence Among Infants in Bahamas Has Decreased, HIV Among Youth Still a Concern, Officials Say

Less than 1% of infants born in the Bahamas are HIV-positive -- a significant decrease over previous years -- because of treatments that have been made available to HIV-positive pregnant women, officials said, the Bahama Journal reports. Speaking at a workshop on HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections on Friday, Health Minister Bernard Nottage said, "Today, hospital HIV-pediatric wards that were filled are empty because of new antiretroviral treatments." Nottage also said that there still are many new HIV cases among youth, especially young women. Officials have implemented a program in schools that focuses on prevention, care and condom use. In addition, a youth-focused campaign urging condom use is scheduled to continue until 2007. As of Dec. 31, 2005, 10,479 people in the Bahamas were HIV-positive, and 5,243 had developed AIDS, of which 3,612 have died, according to the Bahama Journal (Pinder, Bahama Journal, 5/8).

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