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• Importance to Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) in Sub-Saharan Africa
  Hexin L. Katengeza, Usman Iqbal
  Published on: 6 November 2018

• Published on: 6 November 2018

  Importance to Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) in Sub-Saharan Africa

  • Hexin L. Katengeza, Nurse/Midwife (Currently Global Health Masters Student) Taipei Medical University; College of Public Health; Masters Program in Global Health and Development
  • Other Contributors:
    • Usman Iqbal, Assistant Professor

  Many countries in sub-Saharan African are implementing prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV programs. In 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO launched a comprehensive four-pronged strategy to prevent HIV among infants and young children to combat mother to child transmission (MTCT). One of the elements in the strategy is prevention of unintended pregnancies particularly among those living with HIV.
  There is also a significant unmet need for family planning among many including women living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa. The WHO states that 214 million women of reproductive age in developing countries who want to avoid pregnancy are not using a modern contraceptive method (Sexual and Reproductive Health, World Contraception Day 2018 report,WHO). According to WHO, citing a study by Ross & Winfrey 2001, 95% of women who are 0 to 12 months postpartum want to avoid pregnancy in the next 24 months, but 70% of them are not using contraception. The WHO indicates that ‘pregnancies in the postpartum period pose the greatest risk for women and their infants, and have increased risks of adverse health outcomes. Providing postpartum family planning is therefore crucial for ensuring the health, human rights and well-being of women and their babies’ (Sexual and Reproductive Health, World Contraception Day 2018 report,WHO). A study by John B. Casterline et al (2004) cited a number of salient factors contributing to the unmet need including poor access...

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  Many countries in sub-Saharan African are implementing prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV programs. In 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO launched a comprehensive four-pronged strategy to prevent HIV among infants and young children to combat mother to child transmission (MTCT). One of the elements in the strategy is prevention of unintended pregnancies particularly among those living with HIV.
  There is also a significant unmet need for family planning among many including women living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa. The WHO states that 214 million women of reproductive age in developing countries who want to avoid pregnancy are not using a modern contraceptive method (Sexual and Reproductive Health, World Contraception Day 2018 report,WHO). According to WHO, citing a study by Ross & Winfrey 2001, 95% of women who are 0 to 12 months postpartum want to avoid pregnancy in the next 24 months, but 70% of them are not using contraception. The WHO indicates that ‘pregnancies in the postpartum period pose the greatest risk for women and their infants, and have increased risks of adverse health outcomes. Providing postpartum family planning is therefore crucial for ensuring the health, human rights and well-being of women and their babies’ (Sexual and Reproductive Health, World Contraception Day 2018 report,WHO). A study by John B. Casterline et al (2004) cited a number of salient factors contributing to the unmet need including poor access to services, lack of necessary knowledge about contraceptive methods, social opposition to their use, and health concerns about possible side effects.
  The finding that ‘providing a behavioral nudge in combination with a voucher for free postpartum contraceptive increases take- up of modern methods’ is, in my view, an important finding, particularly for program planners particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and other developing countries where there is heavy burden of HIV.

  It is key, therefore, to consider this study’s finding of providing both behavioral nudges and some promise of free modern contraceptive methods, especially for women living with HIV as a strategy to improve both PMTCT and the health, human rights and well-being of women.

  References:
  • John B. Casterline; Steven W. Sinding; Unmet Need for Family Planning in Developing Countries and Implications for Population Policy; wiley online library; (2004);
  • Sexual and Reproductive Health, World Contraception Day 2018 report,WHO (http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/family_planning/world-contr... (retrieved, 3rd November 2018)

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  Conflict of Interest:
  None declared.

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