40,000 Ethiopian Mothers, Babies Receive HIV Services
27 November, 2006
As Ethiopia commemorates World AIDS Day—the international day of action on HIV and AIDS—on December 1, more and more Ethiopian women are learning their HIV status through a national project to help prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT).
With a national HIV prevalence of 3.5%, and with urban and rural prevalence of 10.5% and 1.9%, respectively, an estimated 128,900 new HIV infections occur every year in Ethiopia. In 2005, it was estimated that children make up 23.5% of new HIV infections, and 18.3% of annual AIDS deaths.
Since February 2004, the Hareg Project has counseled and tested more than 40,000 mothers in 90 public health centers. In addition, some 6,500 male partners have also been tested for HIV. The project plans to expand services in the future to 267 health centers in all regions of the country.
With knowledge of their HIV status, HIV-positive pregnant women can receive important medicine for themselves and their babies and learn how to live healthy lives. About 1,000 HIV positive mothers and their new-born babies have received nevirapine (NVP) prophylaxis, a medicine used to prevent transmission of HIV from the mother to the child. However, encouraging pregnant women to get tested remains a challenge in Ethiopia since only 28% of women seek out antenatal care and only 6% deliver in health facilities.
Led by IntraHealth International, a U.S.-based nongovernmental organization, the Hareg Project is funded by the generous support of the American people through the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project is a collaborative effort with the Ministry of Health, National HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office (HAPCO), district health offices and community-based teams to connect HIV-positive women and their babies to a continuum of services to improve their health and avert infections. Initiatives such as Mothers-to-Mothers—a community program to increase awareness and support to mothers about HIV prevention, care and treatment—and strong linkages with family planning, nutrition and ongoing anti-retroviral treatment (ART) services contribute to reducing the number of pediatric HIV infections.
Health care providers are an essential partner in reducing HIV transmission, and PMTCT programs succeed when they are well integrated into antenatal care and maternal and child health services. The Hareg Project has trained over 2,000 providers and managers in PMTCT at their work sites. This "on-the-job" approach minimizes interruptions to patient care and helps staff find the best way to introduce PMTCT as a new service at their facility.
Because community members surrounding health centers are the driving force in the effort to increase participation in PMTCT services, the Hareg Project has motivated an army of community volunteers to conduct educational activities and refer women and their partners for counseling and testing, antenatal and postnatal care and infant follow-up.