Abstract
BackgroundThere is great impetus to achieve elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (eMTCT) by 2015, and part of this is to identify factors to target to achieve the goal. This study thus identified key patient factors for MTCT in a high HIV prevalence setting in Johannesburg, South Africa. Between November 2010 and May 2012, we conducted a case–control study among HIV-infected women with HIV-infected (cases) and uninfected (controls) infants diagnosed around six weeks of age as part of routine, early infant diagnosis. Mothers and infants were identified through registers in six healthcare facilities that provide antenatal, postpartum and HIV care. Structured interviews were conducted with a focus on history of HIV infection, antenatal, intrapartum and immediate postpartum management of the mother-infant pair. Patient-related risk factors for MTCT were identified.ResultsA total of 77 women with HIV-infected infants and 154 with –uninfected infants were interviewed. Among HIV-infected cases, 13.0% of the women knew their HIV status prior to conception, and 83.1% reported their pregnancies as unplanned. Antenatal antiretroviral coverage was high in the control group – only 1/154 (0.7%) reported receiving no prophylaxis or treatment compared with 17/74 (22.9%) of cases. In multivariate analysis, key patient-related risks for HIV transmission were: unknown HIV status prior to conception (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 6.6; 95% CI = 2.4 – 18.4; p < 0.001); accessing antenatal care after 20 weeks gestation (AOR = 4.3; 95% CI = 2.0 – 9.3; p < 0.001); less than 12 years of formal education (AOR = 3.4; 95% CI = 1.6 – 7.5; p = 0.002); and unplanned pregnancy (AOR = 2.7; 95% CI = 1.2 to 6.3; p = 0.022). Mean age at first HIV test was 6.6 weeks (SD = 3.5) for infants who were diagnosed as HIV-infected, and the mean age at antiretroviral treatment initiation was 10.8 weeks (SD = 4.4). HIV-uninfected infants were diagnosed at a mean age of 6.0 weeks (SD = 0.2).ConclusionsUndiagnosed maternal HIV infection prior to conception, unplanned pregnancies, delays in accessing antenatal care, and low levels of education were the most significant patient risk factors associated with MTCT. While the emphasis has been on increasing availability and coverage of efficacious antiretroviral regimens, and strengthening health systems within eMTCT initiatives, there is a need to also address patient-related factors if we are to achieve eMTCT goals.
Highlights
There is great impetus to achieve elimination of mother-to-child transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV) by 2015, and part of this is to identify factors to target to achieve the goal
In 2009, UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), made a global call for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015, and there is great impetus to achieve the target as the deadline approaches [1,2,3]
As much as availability and implementation of efficacious prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) interventions are key in preventing HIV infection in children, individual patient factors are important and need to be targeted
Summary
There is great impetus to achieve elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (eMTCT) by 2015, and part of this is to identify factors to target to achieve the goal. Women who are already pregnant need to access healthcare early and if identified as HIV-infected, be initiated on antiretrovirals timeously and adhere to therapy during the ante- and postpartum periods. While it is well-recognised that the highest risk of MTCT is among women with undiagnosed and/or untreated HIV infection, and in known HIV-infected women who either do not start or delay treatment, there are still health system factors that fail to address these [10,11,12,13]. This study focused on, and identified key patient-centred risks for MTCT in a high HIV prevalence setting in Johannesburg, South Africa
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