Positive Motherhood – Opportunities and challenges of HIV prevention, treatment and care Conference, 26 April, 2007, Berne

I have the pleasure to invite you to the aidfoscus.ch conference that will take place April 26, 2007, in Berne. The conference will focus on the issue of “positive motherhood”, that is, on women and men who tested HIV-positive and who desire to have healthy and happy children. And on the various challenges with which they are confronted, especially in the countries of the South.

One out of ten pregnant women living in sub-saharan Africa is HIV-positive. About every third child of a positive woman will be infected with the virus, if no precautions are taken. About 700 000 children are infected through the vertical HIV transmission. However, this needs not to be.

What are the challenges and opportunities of voluntary counselling and testing in antenatal care and of prevention of vertical HIV transfer? What are the criteria for breastfeeding by positive mothers and/or supplying infant formula? What is the impact of socio-cultural significance of motherhood on HIV prevention and care? How to deal with the social stigma positive women and their families are confronted with? These are some of the issues which will be explored at the conference, looking at them from a socio-cultural as well as a medical perspective, reflecting on theory and practice.

I would be very happy to welcome you in Berne on April 26, 2007.

Helena Zweifel Coordinator aidsfocus.ch

Dr. Claudia Kessler Bodiang, Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel Positive Motherhood – Global overview on challenges and opportunities

Marleene Dermaut, Médecins Sans Frontières Switzerland, Bruxelles Prevention, care, treatment and support for HIV positive women, their infants and their families. Experiences from Moçambique

Lida Lhotska, IBFAM, Geneva: Infant feeding: Supporting mothers to make informed choices

Dr. Saskia Walentowitz, Social Anthropologist, Bern Importance of cultural issues and human rights

Plenary: Where to go from here: Key messages and commitments

The conference language is English. Additional information and registration:

http://www.aidsfocus.ch
http://www.aidsfocus.ch

aidsfocus.ch is a project set up by Medicus Mundi Switzerland. aidsfocus.ch is sponsored and shaped by 30 partner organizations who support the aims and activities of the platform through their financial contributions, expertise and commitment.

Partners: AIDS & Child, Bethlehem Mission Immensee, Caritas Switzerland, cinfo, CO-OPERAID, Déclaration de Berne, FEPA, Fédération Genevoise de Coopération, Gemeinschaft St. Anna-Schwestern, HEKS, IAMANEH Switzerland, International Federation of the Blue Cross, INTERTEAM, medico international Switzerland, mediCuba-Suisse, mission, REPSSI, SolidarMed, Swiss Aids Care International, Swiss Aids Federation, Médecins Sans Frontières, missio, mission 21, Swiss Aids Care International, Swiss Catholic Lenten Fund, Swiss MIVA, Swiss Red Cross, Swiss Tropical Institute, Tear Fund, Terre des hommes Foundation, terre des hommes - Switzerland, World Vision Switzerland.