Conference on Vertical Transmission Begins in Ivory Coast
A four-day conference addressing the issue of mother-to-child HIV transmission in Africa began yesterday in the Ivory Coast capital of Abidjan, Agence France-Presse reports. Simone Gbagbo, wife of Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo, said that the conference will allow the eight participating countries to "share their experiences" on fighting HIV. Assana Sangare, the Ivory Coast's minister for AIDS, noted that approximately 12% of pregnant women in Abidjan are HIV-positive, and Simone Gbagbo called for mandatory HIV testing for "all women of childbearing age." The Ivory Coast has a population of 15 million people, about one million of whom are HIV-positive (Agence France-Presse, 7/23).
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