Implementation of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV programme in Zimbabwe: Achievements and challenges

Abstract

Recent scientific developments have led to feasible and effective interventions to reduce the risk of mother to child transmission of HIV. Even in resource poor countries, PMTCT programmes are being articulated as a priority in the national strategic frameworks. Thus PMTCT programmes are moving from being pilot projects to national programmes comprehensively integrated into other reproductive health programmes or HIV and AIDS prevention, care and support programmes. In Zimbabwe the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV infection has become an important national task. The 2001 national survey of HIV prevalence among women attending antenatal care revealed that 29.5% of the women were HIV positive. While an effective PMTCT programme using nevirapine can reduce the rate of this transmission by 50%,2 the Zimbabwe PMTCT National Expansion Programme has had its share of achievements and challenges since its launch in 2002.