Option B+ Program for the Prevention of Vertical Transmission of HIV: A Case Study in Johannesburg, South Africa
Bisnauth MA, Coovadia A, Mbuagbaw L, Wilson MG and Birch S (2020) Option B+ Program for the Prevention of Vertical Transmission of HIV: A Case Study in Johannesburg, South Africa. Front. Public Health 8:533534. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.533534.
Background:
South Africa’s National Department of Health adopted WHO’s 2013 consolidated guidelines on ARVs for HIV treatment and prevention in 2015, including changes for Prevention from Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) through Option B+, aimed to reduce the HIV prevalence rate amongst women by placing them on lifelong treatment, irrespective of their CD4 count. As a result, these guidelines were implemented for the PMTCT program at Rahima Moosa Hospital. Little is known about the impact of these guidelines on the work of healthcare workers (HCWs) and no research had focused on how these changes have affected adherence for the patients.
Objectives:
The purpose of this research project was (1) to explore the impact of the Option B+ PMTCT program on the work of healthcare professionals, and (2) to understand pregnant HIV-positive women’s views and experiences with ART for life, as a way to better manage the Option B+ PMTCT program.
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