OBJECTIVES Using Geographical Information System (GIS) as a tool to determine access to and gaps in providing HIV counselling and testing (VCT), treatment (ART) and mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services in conflict affected northern Uganda. METHODS Cross-sectional data on availability and utilization, and geo-coordinates of health facilities providing VCT, PMTCT, and ART were collecte...

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest number of mother to child transmissions of HIV. PMTCT programme plays a big role in reducing the MTCT nevertheless its effectiveness in sub-Saharan Africa depends on involvement of male partners considering the fact that men are decision makers in African families. They make important decisions that have big impact on women’s health. Male partner involvement h...

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...

INTRODUCTION The fastest growing group of adults living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is women. As more women contract the virus, the number of children infected in utero, intra-partum, and during breastfeeding has been growing. This study assessed the knowledge and attitude of women of child bearing age towards the prevention of mother-to-child-transmission (PMTCT) of HIV. MATERIA...

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of prevention of the mother to child transmission (PMTCT) program in Benin City, Nigeria on the prevalence of postnatal infant HIV. Effects of the duration of PMTCT, place of birth and sex of the infants on the prevalence of postnatal HIV were also assessed. Dried blood spots were collected from 318 infants (6−8 weeks old) born to HIV-positive m...

INTRODUCTION As the world is making progress towards elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, poor coverage of PMTCT services in Nigeria remains a major challenge. In order to address this, scale-up was planned with activities organized into 3 phases. This paper describes the process undertaken in eight high burden Nigerian states to rapidly close PMTCT coverage gaps at facility and ...

BACKGROUND Improving retention in prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV programs is critical to optimize maternal and infant health outcomes, especially now that lifelong treatment is immediate regardless of CD4 cell count). The WelTel strategy of using weekly short message service (SMS) to engage patients in care in Kenya, where mobile coverage even in poor areas is widespr...

Knowledge and attitude of pregnant and breast feeding mothers to option B+ prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV is vital for effective and efficient utilization of the service. The objectives of this institution based cross sectional study was to assess knowledge and attitude as well as factors associated with option B+ PMTCT of HIV among pregnant and breast feeding mothers...

BACKGROUND Health systems that deliver prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) services in low and middle income countries continue to underperform, resulting in thousands of unnecessary HIV infections of newborns each year. We used a combination of approaches to health systems strengthening to reduce transmission of HIV from mother to infant in a multi-facility public health system ...

BACKGROUND In rural South Africa, only two-thirds of HIV-positive pregnant women seeking antenatal care at community health centers took full advantage of 'prevention of mother-to-child transmission' (PMTCT) services in 2010. Studies generally support male involvement to promote PMTCT, but the nature and impact of that involvement is unclear and untested. Additionally, stigma, disclosure and in...