|
|
|
Faculty of Health Sciences
School of Health Systems and Public Health
School of Health Systems and Public Health
Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV
Services for prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) are now available in many countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa. It has proven very difficult to measure the effectiveness or field efficacy of PMTCT services on a population basis.
Since multiple randomized trials have proven the benefit of antiretroviral (ARV) prophylaxis to prevent MTCT under experimental and well-controlled conditions, the next step is to estimate effectiveness of PMTCT programs, assuming that women who ingest the ARV medication and their newborns will benefit from it. Under this assumption it is only necessary to know the number of HIV-infected women delivering in the population and the number who ingest an ARV intervention.
The purpose of the monitoring activity proposed in this study is to measure precisely the prevalence of HIV among pregnant women in designated delivery centers and to ascertain the proportion of HIV-exposed infants delivered to these women who receive an ARV intervention to prevent MTCT. We will collect unlinked, anonymous specimens of cord blood from discarded placentas and test these specimens for HIV antibodies. Those that are found to be seropositive will then be tested for nevirapine. These analyses will give a community-wide picture of HIV prevalence and PMTCT coverage, and will provide critical performance data on PMTCT activities.
|
|
|
|
