Determinants to Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV among Patients at Nakuru County Referral Hospital, Kenya

Abstract

Elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (eMTCT) services are critical to achieve national and global targets of 90% antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage in PMTCT, and mother-to-child transmission rates less than 5%. Despite substantial progress in efforts to reduce MTCT of HIV in Kenya, HIV transmission from mother to child remains at 3.6 % .MTCT rate in some of the health facilities in Nakuru is still higher than the global initiative recommendation of <5% due to socio-cultural factors. In this paper, important issues concerning sustained high MTCT rates are addressed and potential determinants contributing to high MTCT rates in some of the health facilities in Nakuru County are also highlighted. A mixed study was conducted among patients in whose main objective was to investigate the determinants to eMTCT. Specific objectives were to determine the level of knowledge on eMTCT among patients at the facility, to investigate the social determinants affecting eMTCT, and to establish cultural beliefs and practices causing high rates. The paper argues that various stakeholders, including the community, need to scale up of socio mobilization and awareness on Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission program, increase knowledge on PMTCT to reduce socio-cultural practices which will lower the eMTCT rates in the facilities.