Uganda: Mother-to-Child HIV Prevention Questioned
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New Vision (Kampala)
26 August 2008
Posted to the web 27 August 2008
Anthony Bugembe and Elvis Basuude
Kampala
UGANDA'S method of preventing HIV transmission from mother-to-child is not effective, AIDS activists have said.
Dr. Justine Nankinga, the national Anti-Reviral Therapy coordinator in the ministry of health, said in most developing countries, health workers administer only a single dose of nevirapine tablet to a mother at the onset of labour.
The single dose of nevirapine syrup is also administered to a newly-born baby 72 hours after birth. The baby also gets Zidocudine in addition to nevirapine.
This reduces HIV transmission by 50% if well administered, yet research has shown that if all HIV- positive pregnant women are given a triple combination of the ARVs, mother-to-child transmission can be reduced by 99%, Nakinga told participants at the second national HIV paedriatric conference in Kampala on Thursday.
"The country has been implementing the exercise for eight years but the measures we are using in Uganda don't reduce mother-to-child transmission."
Dr. Victor Tumusiime, a paediatrician, said: "Now that more resources are available, we are advocating for a triple combination. This is being done in other countries."
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