Prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission at primary health care level in Moshi urban Tanzania: uptake challenges and transmission rate

• Main Author: Sia E. Msuya M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Makhdoomi Printers 2014-01-01
• Series: Global Journal of Medicine and Public Health
• Subjects: PMTCT; nevirapine; ARV prophylaxis
• Online Access: http://gjmedph.com/uploads/O9-Vo3No1.pdf

BACKGROUND:Tanzania has extended prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) services to primary health care clinics (PHC). Information on challenges and rates of MTCTC of HIV at this level is limited. The study aimed to describe theuptake of PMTCT interventions and MTCT rates at 18 months post-delivery. METHODS:Pregnant women,in their 3rd trimester (N=2654),attending 2 primary health facilities in Moshi were recruited. They were interviewed, tested and women-infant pairs were followed-up for 18 months post- delivery, at which point the exposed children were tested for HIV. RESULTS:Of the 2654 women, 99% accepted testing, 93% returned for their HIV-test results and 7% (184) were HIV-positive. Of the 184 HIV-positive women, 93% (171/184) came for test-results, 71% (130/184) took anti- retroviral prophylaxis (sdNVP) in labor and 59% (103/175) infants received ARV (sdNVP) prophylaxis. HIV-testing at 18 months was conducted for 68% of the exposed infants. The rate of MTCT of HIV was 15.8%. CONCLUSION: Nearly 40% of infants do not receive ARV prophylaxis and there is high rate of loss to follow-up after delivery, which needs urgent improvements.The high transmission rate support testing of exposed- children earlier due to high number of deaths among children < 18 months and missed opportunity to offer early ART care.