Aynishan Hasanova, 27, discovered she was HIV positive when she became pregnant. Her husband had concealed his own infection. In 2023, 919 people in Azerbaijan were infected with HIV, with 7% being pregnant women. Treatments and procedures now exist to prevent mother-to-child transmission.

UNFPA’s “Safe motherhood in the southern region of Azerbaijan” project, launched in 2022, trains local healthcare staff to improve reproductive health and reduce maternal and child mortality. This initiative helped Ms. Hasanova have a safe caesarean delivery, preventing HIV transmission to her baby.

Nurse Gulsum Mammadova, who accidentally pricked herself with a needle during the procedure, used her UNFPA training to promptly take post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and tested negative for HIV.

Both Ms. Hasanova and Ms. Mammadova are now living in peace, with Ms. Hasanova’s child showing no signs of HIV infection. If her child remains negative after 18 months, he will be considered free of HIV.

Source: https://eeca.unfpa.org/en/news/%E2%80%9Ci-didnt-know-was-possible%E2%80%9D-unfpa-supports-safe-childbirth-and-hiv-prevention-southern