COMPLIANCE WITH PREVENTION OF MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION OF HIV MEASURES AMONG ANTENATAL CLINIC ATTENDEES IN A LOW RESOURCE SETTING

Abstract

Background: About 900 new cases of HIV infection occur daily, mainly in Sub Saharan Africa; 90% of these are attributed to transmission from mother to child. Prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV can be achieved through a 4-pronged approach, one of which is preventing transmission from a woman living with HIV to her baby. Compliance with these measures could reduce infection rate to less than 5%. Objective: The aim of our study was to assess compliance with selected PMTCT measures among women attending ANC at the study center, and to explore its relationship with maternal demographic and socio-economic factors. Methods: The study used an analytic cross sectional design to study 77 HIV positive women enrolled into the PMTCT programme of the study centre during the ante-natal period for their most recent pregnancy. Respondents were randomly selected and data collected using a semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS computer package, version 20. Descriptive data were reported in percentages or means (SD). Statistical associations were tested by chi square test for categorical variables and t test for continuous variables. Level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Mean age of respondents was 29.5 years 5.9, 89.6% (N = 69) were married and 75.3% (N = 58) were multiparous. There were 77 babies, with mean age of 9.1 5.1 months. More than half the proportion of babies (N = 41; 53.2%) were HIV negative at birth, 11 (14.3%) were positive and the status of the rest 25 (32.5%) was not known to the mothers. Reportedly, 97.4% (N = 75) of the mothers were regular with their clinic visits, 92.2% (N = 72) complied with their ARV medication and 89.6% (N = 69) for their babies. Cost of transportation and mothers' parity were significantly associated with ARV use for the babies. Conclusion: Most mothers were regular on ARVs and for their index children. Parity and transportation c