Mother Africa

Eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission in South Africa.

PROBLEM The World Health Organization has produced clear guidelines for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, ensuring that all PMTCT programme components are implemented to a high quality in all facilities presents challenges. APPROACH Although South Africa initiated its PMTCT programme in 2002, later than most other countr...

Preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Africa.

This article comments on the methods of reducing mother-to-child transmission of the HIV disease in the countries of Africa. Well-known interventions such as Cesarean sections, alternative feeding options, and antiretroviral drugs (zidovudine, lamivudine and nevirapine) have brought vertical transmission of HIV under a reasonable level of control where financial resources, technical infrastruct...

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Africa.

HIV infection and mortality rates in African children are astoundingly high. Risk factors for mother-to-child transmission of HIV include maternal plasma viral load and breastfeeding. With regard to the latter, current data indicate that mixed feeding (breastfeeding with other oral foods and liquids) is associated with the greatest risk of transmission. Studies are under way to determine if exc...

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 in Africa.

With the prevalence of HIV among pregnant women higher than 35% in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa, the number of HIV-infected children will continue to grow. It is estimated that almost 70% of the approximately 500,000 children who became infected with HIV in 1995 were born in sub-Saharan Africa. An effective intervention to prevent the vertical transmission of HIV is therefore most urgentl...

Technological Decision-Making Under Scientific Uncertainty Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in South Africa