Assessing missed opportunities for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission in an Eastern Cape local service area
SOURCE: South African Medical Journal
OUTPUT TYPE: Journal Article
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2009
TITLE AUTHOR(S): L.C.Rispel, K.Peltzer, N.Phaswana-Mafuya, C.A.Metcalf, L.Treger
KEYWORDS: EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE, HIV/AIDS, PREVENTION OF MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION (PMTCT) PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT: Public Health, Societies and Belonging (HSC)
Print: HSRC Library: shelf number 5704
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/4992
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/4992
OUTPUT TYPE: Journal Article
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2009
TITLE AUTHOR(S): L.C.Rispel, K.Peltzer, N.Phaswana-Mafuya, C.A.Metcalf, L.Treger
KEYWORDS: EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE, HIV/AIDS, PREVENTION OF MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION (PMTCT) PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT: Public Health, Societies and Belonging (HSC)
Print: HSRC Library: shelf number 5704
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/4992
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/4992
If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Baudin at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za.
Abstract
Background. Prevention of new HIV infections is a critical imperative for South Africa; the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) is one of the most efficacious HIV prevention interventions. Objective. Assessment of a PMTCT programme to determine missed opportunities. Setting. The Kouga local service area (LSA), bordering Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (Port Elizabeth) in the Eastern Cape. Methods. An assessment was conducted in 2007 before implementing technical support for strengthening the PMTCT programme, including: interviews with 20 PMTCT managers, 4 maternity staff and 27 other health workers on service provision, management, infrastructure, human resources and the health information system; 296 antenatal clinic users on their service perceptions; 70 HIV-positive women on HIV knowledge, infant feeding, coping, support and service perceptions; 8 representatives from community organisations and 101 traditional health practitioners (THPs). Observations were conducted during site visits to health facilities, and the District Health Information System (DHIS) data were reviewed. Results. Staff had high levels of awareness of HIV policies and most had received some relevant training. Nevirapine uptake varied by clinic, with an average of 56%. There were many missed opportunities for PMTCT, with 67% of pregnant women tested for HIV and only 43% of antenatal care attendees tested during a previous pregnancy. Only 6% of HIV-positive women reported support group participation. Conclusions. Reducing missed opportunities for PMTCT requires strengthening of the formal health sector, intersectoral liaison, and greater community support. Priority areas that require strengthening in the formal health sector include HIV counselling and testing; family planning and nutrition counselling; infant follow-up; human resources; and monitoring and evaluation.-
Related Research Outputs:
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- The practicalities of using Nevirapine for PMTCT in under-resourced settings: the case of Qaukeni district in the eastern Cape province, South Africa
- Prevention of HIV from mother to child (PMTCT) in a resource poor setting in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: baseline survey of pregnant women
- Follow-up survey of women who have undergone PMTCT in a resource poor setting
- Barriers to prevention of HIV transmission from mother to child (PMTCT) in a resource poor setting in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- PMTCT services in a rural district municipality of the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Experiences of PMTCT services by HIV+ mothers in the Eastern Cape of South Africa
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- Barriers to implementation of PMTCT program in the Eastern Cape of South Africa
- Barriers to implementation of PMTCT program in the Eastern Cape of South Africa
- Implementing a rural programme of Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in Kouga LSA, South Africa: a pre-post evaluation: final report: Kouga LSA PMTCT programme implementation
- Pre- and post-intervention assessment of a PMTCT-programme-strenghtening initiative in a rural area of the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Characterizing strategies to prevent mother to child HIV transmission among female sex workers in the Eastern Cape
- Prevention of mother to child transmission: a report of an assessment of a pilot programme in fifteen health facilities in Gauteng province
- Assessing the costs of a rural PMTCT pilot site in the eastern Cape
- Factors influencing the utilisation of prevention of mother-to-child-transmission (PMTCT) services by pregnant women in the eastern Cape, South Africa
- HIV knowledge, risk perception, and risk behaviours among technikon staff in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Perceived HIV/AIDS impact among staff in tertiary institutions in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Perceived HIV/AIDS impact among higher education institutions in the Eastern Cape
- HIV/AIDS situational analysis among tertiary institutions in the Eastern Cape