Masters Degrees (Family Medicine and Primary Care)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Family Medicine and Primary Care) by Subject "AIDS (Disease) in pregnancy -- Namibia -- Prevention"

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    Modifiable factors within the prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) programme associated with failure to prevent HIV transmission in the Onandjokwe district of Namibia
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-12) Shayo, Flavia Strato; Mash, Bob; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Family and Emergency Medicine. Family Medicine and Primary Care.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: Background: Ending new paediatric HIV infections continues to be a global health priority. Cuba and other countries have demonstrated that elimination of mother to child transmission is possible through Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) interventions. As Namibia works on improving PMTCT there is a need to identify the local modifiable factors to achieve zero new HIV infections. Aim: This study aimed to identify the modifiable factors within the PMTCT programme, which contributed to the acquisition of HIV infection among children in the Onandjokwe District. Setting: Onandjokwe District, Northern Namibia. Methods: A descriptive audit of the medical records of mothers and their children under two years, who acquired HIV despite the PMTCT programme. Results: The study found that 80% of the paediatric HIV infections could be prevented by implementing the existing Namibian PMTCT recommendations. Overall 55% of modifiable factors were related to mothers, 35% to health workers and 10% to the health system. The top three modifiable factors related to health workers were poor HIV viral load monitoring, failure to act on a high HIV viral load and lack of initiative in tracing defaulters. Modifiable factors related to mothers were defaulting anti-retroviral therapy in themselves or their children. Health system related factors were a lack of a recall system to ensure infants came for their medication and HIV tests. Conclusion: The majority of HIV infections among children under two years could be prevented within the PMTCT programme by addressing the identified modifiable factors in this study.