Abstract:
BACKGROUND
Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission (PMTCT) of Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection has been a fundamental advancement in the
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) response for the past decade. Although
Kenya introduced the antiretroviral therapy programme as early as 2011, babies are
still born with HIV. This study aimed at assessing the uptake of Antenatal Care Services
(ACS) and the level of observance of prophylactic antiretroviral therapy among HIV
positive pregnant mothers attending antenatal clinics in Nyahururu Referral County
hospital, Laikipia County, Kenya.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We conducted an institutional-based prospective cohort study in a hospital. Our
participants were 180 pregnant HIV-positive women enrolled through systematic
random sampling from the PMTCT department. We followed and monitored them
prospectively for nine months. In addition, were commenced on prophylactic
antiretroviral therapy. We used descriptive statistical methods, correlations, bivariate
analysis and multivariable logistic regression analyses to make sense of the collected
data. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.
RESULTS
There was a significant response rate of 91%. Social support from partners
accounted for 69.3%. In addition, 69.3% of the mothers had visited antenatal care more
than four times. The majority of participants had undetectable viral load 97.5% and
89.0% had a cluster of differentiation above 250/ml).
CONCLUSIONS
Adequate follow-up, counselling, monitoring, social support and adherence to
antiretroviral therapy can increase the chances of the HIV infected mothers delivering
HIV-negative babies. It is also a prediction that majority of the infants will turn out HIV
negative.
Keywords: Uptake, Antenatal Care, Adherence, Prophylactic, Anti-Retroviral, HIV, Pregnant Mothers.
[Afr. J. Health Sci. 2022 35(2): 241-250]
