Averting Transmittal of HIV from Mother to Child in Zimbabwe

With a simulation model, implementing the latest WHO PMTCT (Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV) guidelines must occur in conjunction with improving access to PMTCT programs. It should also increase retention of women in care and supporting adherence to drugs, in order to eliminate paediatric HIV in Zimbabwe, finds Andrea Ciaranello of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA and colleagues in this week’s PLoS Medicine. The authors say: "Although PMTCT uptake in low- and middle-income countries has risen remarkably, from 10% in 2004 to 53% in 2009, greater access to care and medications for HIV-infected pregnant women is still needed. A focused operational research agenda is critical to identify, implement, and evaluate interventions that improve uptake and retention at each step in the PMTCT cascade."

Source-Eurekalert