Assessing the Implementation of Pmtct of HIV Therapy at Atua Government Hospital, Ghana

Abstract

The problem of mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS has become a global concern. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programme has been implemented globally to help reduced its prevalence to about 5 percent. This programme addresses a wide range of prevention, care, treatment, and support services along a continuum of care from pregnancy through to early childhood. However, there is paucity of empirical data or evidence on the outcome of the programme in the Atua Government which incidentally has the highest prevalence of women with HIV/AIDS. The aim of the study was to assess the outcome of the PMTCT of HIV therapy at the Atua Government Hospital. This study is a descriptive and cross-sectional investigation conducted on HIV-positive mothers who are participating in the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) program at Atua Government Hospital. The study will collect data pertaining to the demographic characteristics of the women, the treatment choices employed, and the postnatal outcomes of the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) program at Atua Government Hospital. The data was subjected to descriptive analysis, employing measures such as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. Additionally, inferential analysis techniques, including t-tests, ANOVA, correlation, and regression, were utilized to examine relationships and differences within the data. The study findings indicate that the provision of PMTCT therapy plays a crucial role, as it serves as the primary means by which infants born to HIV-positive women can be safeguarded from HIV transmission. The findings revealed that among the total sample of 175 infants, a majority of 91.4 percent (n=169) tested negative for HIV infection, while a minority of 8.6 percent (n=15) tested positive for HIV infection. Once more, variations were seen in terms of age and educational attainment among women, as well as their infants' susceptibility to HIV infection due to retroviral exposure. Nevertheless, the findings of the study revealed that there was no significant association between women's income and the risk of Retro exposure leading to HIV infection in infants