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. AP...

詳細記述

書誌詳細
主要な著者: Peter Barron, Yogan Pillay, Tanya Doherty, Gayle Sherman, Debra Jackson, Sanjana Bhardwaj, Precious Robinson, Ameena Goga
フォーマット: 論文
言語:English
出版事項: The World Health Organization 2013-01-01
シリーズ:Bulletin of the World Health Organization
オンライン・アクセス:http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862013000100013&lng=en&tlng=en
_version_ 1827333853927178240
author Peter Barron
Yogan Pillay
Tanya Doherty
Gayle Sherman
Debra Jackson
Sanjana Bhardwaj
Precious Robinson
Ameena Goga
author_facet Peter Barron
Yogan Pillay
Tanya Doherty
Gayle Sherman
Debra Jackson
Sanjana Bhardwaj
Precious Robinson
Ameena Goga
author_sort Peter Barron
collection DOAJ
description 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 countries, political support has increased since 2008. Operational research has received more attention and objective data have been used more effectively. LOCAL SETTING: In 2010, around 30% of all pregnant women in South Africa were HIV-positive and half of all deaths in children younger than 5 years were associated with the virus. RELEVANT CHANGES: Between 2008 and 2011, the estimated proportion of HIV-exposed infants younger than 2 months who underwent routine polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to detect early HIV transmission increased from 36.6% to 70.4%. The estimated HIV transmission rate decreased from 9.6% to 2.8%. Population-based surveys in 2010 and 2011 reported transmission rates of 3.5% and 2.7%, respectively. LESSONS LEARNT: Critical actions for improving programme outcomes included: ensuring rapid implementation of changes in PMTCT policy at the field level through training and guideline dissemination; ensuring good coordination with technical partners, such as international health agencies and international and local nongovernmental organizations; and making use of data and indicators on all aspects of the PMTCT programme. Enabling health-care staff at primary care facilities to initiate antiretroviral therapy and expanding laboratory services for measuring CD4+ T-cell counts and for PCR testing were also helpful.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T17:37:36Z
format Article
id doaj.art-04d99ba605b541f2916d36893b2e758d
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 0042-9686
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T17:37:36Z
publishDate 2013-01-01
publisher The World Health Organization
record_format Article
series Bulletin of the World Health Organization
spelling doaj.art-04d99ba605b541f2916d36893b2e758d2024-03-02T16:33:04ZengThe World Health OrganizationBulletin of the World Health Organization0042-96862013-01-01911707410.2471/BLT.12.106807S0042-96862013000100013Eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission in South AfricaPeter Barron0Yogan Pillay1Tanya Doherty2Gayle Sherman3Debra Jackson4Sanjana Bhardwaj5Precious Robinson6Ameena Goga7University of WitwatersrandDepartment of HealthMedical Research CouncilUniversity of WitwatersrandUniversity of Western CapeUnited Nations Children's FundDepartment of HealthMedical Research CouncilPROBLEM: 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 countries, political support has increased since 2008. Operational research has received more attention and objective data have been used more effectively. LOCAL SETTING: In 2010, around 30% of all pregnant women in South Africa were HIV-positive and half of all deaths in children younger than 5 years were associated with the virus. RELEVANT CHANGES: Between 2008 and 2011, the estimated proportion of HIV-exposed infants younger than 2 months who underwent routine polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to detect early HIV transmission increased from 36.6% to 70.4%. The estimated HIV transmission rate decreased from 9.6% to 2.8%. Population-based surveys in 2010 and 2011 reported transmission rates of 3.5% and 2.7%, respectively. LESSONS LEARNT: Critical actions for improving programme outcomes included: ensuring rapid implementation of changes in PMTCT policy at the field level through training and guideline dissemination; ensuring good coordination with technical partners, such as international health agencies and international and local nongovernmental organizations; and making use of data and indicators on all aspects of the PMTCT programme. Enabling health-care staff at primary care facilities to initiate antiretroviral therapy and expanding laboratory services for measuring CD4+ T-cell counts and for PCR testing were also helpful.http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862013000100013&lng=en&tlng=en
spellingShingle Peter Barron
Yogan Pillay
Tanya Doherty
Gayle Sherman
Debra Jackson
Sanjana Bhardwaj
Precious Robinson
Ameena Goga
Eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission in South Africa
Bulletin of the World Health Organization
title Eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission in South Africa
title_full Eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission in South Africa
title_fullStr Eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission in South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission in South Africa
title_short Eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission in South Africa
title_sort eliminating mother to child hiv transmission in south africa
url http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862013000100013&lng=en&tlng=en
work_keys_str_mv AT peterbarron eliminatingmothertochildhivtransmissioninsouthafrica
AT yoganpillay eliminatingmothertochildhivtransmissioninsouthafrica
AT tanyadoherty eliminatingmothertochildhivtransmissioninsouthafrica
AT gaylesherman eliminatingmothertochildhivtransmissioninsouthafrica
AT debrajackson eliminatingmothertochildhivtransmissioninsouthafrica
AT sanjanabhardwaj eliminatingmothertochildhivtransmissioninsouthafrica
AT preciousrobinson eliminatingmothertochildhivtransmissioninsouthafrica
AT ameenagoga eliminatingmothertochildhivtransmissioninsouthafrica