Identifying high or low risk of mother to child transmission of HIV: How Harare City, Zimbabwe is doing?
A study among pregnant women who delivered in clinics of Harare in August 2017
Abstract
Despite high antiretroviral (ARV) treatment coverage among pregnant women for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Zimbabwe, the MTCT rate is still high. Therefore in 2016, the country adopted World Health Organization recommendations of stratifying pregnant women into “High” or”Low” MTCT risk for subsequent provision of HIV exposed infant (HEI) with appropriate follow-up care according to risk status.
The study sought to ascertain, among pregnant women who delivered in clinics of Harare in August 2017: the extent to which high risk MTCT pregnancies were identified at time of delivery; and whether their newborns were initiated on appropriate ARV prophylaxis, cotrimoxazole prophylaxis, subjected to early HIV diagnostic testing and initiated on ARV treatment.
This research was supported by the UK Department for International Development’s Operational Research Capacity Building Programme led by the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease (The Union)
Citation
Komtenza B, Satyanarayana S, Takarinda KC, Mukungunugwa SH, Mugurungi O, Chonzi P, Sithole N, Bvochora T, Mushavi A. Identifying high or low risk of mother to child transmission of HIV: How Harare City, Zimbabwe is doing?. PLOS ONE. 2019;14(3):e0212848.