By June 2010, New Zealand will offer antenatal HIV screening to all pregnant women.

The aim of the antenatal HIV screening programme is to identify pregnant women with HIV so they can be given treatment to reduce the likelihood of HIV being transmitted to the baby.

Diagnosis and appropriate treatment of women with HIV in pregnancy reduces the chance of perinatal transmission of the virus from 31.5 percent to less than 1 percent. Appropriate treatment is planned individually, but includes antiretroviral medications in pregnancy and during labour and birth along with no breastfeeding and treatment for baby after birth.

The National Screening Unit is responsible for the national aspects of the programme such as developing guidelines, policy and standards for health practitioners, information resources for consumers, and a framework of data collection, monitoring and evaluation to make sure the programme is safe and effective for pregnant women. The National Antenatal HIV Screening Implementation Advisory Group provides advice on the national implementation of the programme. This group includes representatives from midwives, doctors, non-governmental organisations and consumer groups.

The National Screening Unit has collaborated with the New Zealand AIDS Epidemiology Group (AEG) which has enabled quality monitoring and evaluation processes for the programme to be established. The NSU Quality and Equity team and AEG will be responsible for leading ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the programme.

In March 2006, Waikato DHB was the first to implement the programme in New Zealand. Since that time 17 other DHBs have implemented the programme leaving three yet to commence. The NSU recommends that all women are offered screening for HIV in pregnancy with their first antenatal blood tests.