Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT) Your baby’s health must be your priority right from the womb (Sante tibebe w dwe priyorite w depi nan vant)
Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT) of HIV is the leading cause of HIV infection in children. This transmission can occur while the child is still in the mother’s womb, during the perinatal period, or through breastfeeding after birth.
According to data published by the MSPP from testing sites, 404,843 people received HIV testing and counseling between January and December 2022. Pregnant women seen during prenatal care and in maternity wards during labor and delivery accounted for 164,300, or 40.0{22cbdc8e1bfe0340d45f71fe86bffe4b9166dbc7fb0a917938980a771c91449a} of all individuals tested and counseled. Furthermore, data from prenatal and maternity services indicate a decline in health facility visits, leading to a noticeable slowdown in HIV testing activities for pregnant women.
With an HIV prevalence rate of 2.6{22cbdc8e1bfe0340d45f71fe86bffe4b9166dbc7fb0a917938980a771c91449a} among pregnant women attending antenatal care (MESI-2021), 2,460 women on antiretroviral therapy (ART) are monitored in prenatal clinics, and 1,560 newly diagnosed HIV-positive pregnant women were placed on ART. Eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV remains a major challenge for the PNLS. Some pregnant women lack access to healthcare services and remain unaware of their HIV status.