According to an article published in the January issue of the journal PLoS Medicine, at least 16 percent of pregnant women in the African country are infected with HIV and most mothers breastfeed their infants which is one means of viral transmission.

Researchers say Zimbabwe has managed to reduce transmission risk levels through a three-drug antiretroviral therapy on pregnant women with advanced HIV infection and a single dose of the antiviral drug nevirapine for all others.

The programme reached more than half the country's HIV-infected pregnant women in 2009, reducing transmission rates to 18 percent.

Experts believe that the transmission risk could be decreased even further to 14 percent with greater participation among infected women and the use of newer medications.

“Mother-to-child transmission could be further reduced to 6 to 7 percent - approaching virtual elimination,” the article read.

Researchers say fear of infection and social change are the two main reasons for the decline in HIV rates in Zimbabwe.

However, maintaining such health programs can be challenging in resource-poor areas like sub-Saharan Africa, where as much as 90 percent of worldwide mother-to-child transmission

By Special correspondent