P45.02
Background: Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for about 90% of new HIV-infections in children with most of them contracting the infection via mother-to-child-transmission (MTCT). Transmission during breastfeeding accounts for about 40% of new infections. Access to antiretroviral (ARV) regimens by the HIV positive mothers and their children during breastfeeding will improve the chances of these children to be free of HIV infection. Ensuring early infant virological diagnosis of HIV infection will help in identifying those who are HIV-exposed but uninfected and making sure they are free of the disease during breastfeeding period. We will like to evaluate the coverage level of women or infants receiving ARVs during breastfeeding to prevent MTCT and access to virological testing in sub-Saharan countries.
Methods: Data were obtained from United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) 2013 Children and AIDS Sixth Stocktaking Report. We analysed data from 21 SSA priority countries. Our focus was on the percentages of mother or child on ARVs to prevent MTCT during breastfeeding (2009–2012) and early virological diagnosis of HIV in HIV exposed infants (2012).
Results: In 2012, 446471 infants had early virological testing for HIV infection with South Africa recording 51.6% of the total number. The average percentage of infants tested was 32.2% with 15 of the countries recording<50% coverage. Percentage of women or infants receiving ARVs during breastfeeding increased from 10.2% to 42.5%. The mean difference was 32.2%, 95%CI: 19.9-44.6, p=0.0000. Ghana made a remarkable progress with a difference of 95% while 2 countries were at<10% level in 2012.
Conclusions: The African priority countries made significant progress in the provision of ARVs for mothers and infants during breastfeeding period although some countries are still lagging behind. The level of virological testing is still very low, additional effort is needed to improve the early infant diagnosis in countries with poor coverage.
