Conference abstract

Utilization of elimination of mother to child HIV transmission services: Kampala, Uganda, 2016

Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2017:6(22).21 Dec 2017.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2017.6.22.504
Archived on: 21 Dec 2017
Contact the corresponding author
Keywords: Mother, child, HIV, Uganda
Plenary

Utilization of elimination of mother to child HIV transmission services: Kampala, Uganda, 2016

Jimmy Ogwal1,&, Daniel Kadobera1, Alex Riolexus Ario1

1Uganda Public Health Fellowship Program, Kampala, Uganda

&Corresponding author
Jimmy Ogwal, Uganda Public Health Fellowship Program, Kampala, Uganda

Abstract

Introduction: mother-to-child HIV transmission was first recognized to be the major source of HIV infection among children under the age of 15 years in the mid-1980s. Without treatment it is estimated that half of the HIV infected children will die before their second birthday, contributing to high infant and childhood mortality rates. In Uganda women and girls constitute the bigger proportion of people living with HIV/AIDS (52%) when compared to men and boys (UNAIDS & GCWA, 2006), as rates of female infection continue to rise so does the risk to the attainment of MTCT.

Methods: secondary data from DHIS2 was reviewed and analyzed basing on a list of indicators from 2012 - 2015. Since it is a secondary data analysis, data were already captured in DHIS2.

Results: only 48% of the pregnant mothers were tested for HIV in 2015 in Kampala with the lowest coming from private for profit. The trend of positive women being enrolled in care has been going down compared to the exposed infant. Couple testing is below 10% in all the three years.

Conclusion: more pregnant women were being tested for HIV across the facility ownership but very few positive mothers are being enrolled in care. Male involvement in elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV (eMTCT) has not yet picked up to the recommended level. More positive mothers should be enrolled in care by promoting health facility based deliveries and men should be sensitized on the importance of their participation in eMTCT.