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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Senior Health Reporter
When Jane Makumbe* (not her real name) from Muchakagara village learnt that she was pregnant with her fourth child, she was elated.
Armed with experience from previous pregnancies, she went to book for antenatal care at Mutambara Mission Hospital in Chimanimani early.
In line with protocols for all mothers registering their pregnancies, Jane was tested for HIV. She tested positive.
“I received counselling and was immediately initiated on Antiretroviral treatment (ART). They told me that I could deliver an HIV negative baby. I went home and told my husband what had happened and he also came for testing. He also tested positive and got started on his treatment as well. We underwent counselling and we were educated on ways to protect ourselves and our child,” she said.
Good thing she and her husband accepted the situation and went on treatment.
This month, Jane welcomed her HIV negative baby into the world. She had a normal delivery and will breastfeed her baby as any other mother.
“I did not see my HIV status as a death sentence but I accepted it and decided to be positive. My baby was initiated on medication and the nurses have been helpful, teaching me how to take care of my child and myself. I want to encourage other women to always get tested to know where they stand in terms of HIV. I came to book early and the result is that I got tested and now know my status. Knowing your status helps to protect you and your baby,” she said.
Mother-to-child transmission of HIV is the most common way young children contract the virus and happens when HIV is passed from a mother to her unborn baby during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding.
The Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme being implemented in the country by the Ministry of Health and Child Care has helped to reduce the incidence of babies contracting the virus.
The programme requires that mothers receive antenatal services and HIV testing during pregnancy, access to antiretroviral treatment (ART), practice safe childbirth practices and appropriate infant feeding as well as infant HIV testing and other post-natal healthcare services.
Statistics show that Zimbabwe’s PMTCT coverage now stands at 93 percent, a huge progress from the 1990s.
For women like Jane, improved access to antenatal care has helped to increase HIV testing and initiation of ART.
With Funding from the Chinese Government, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Ministry of Health and Child Care implemented a project which sought to strengthen maternal health services in districts that were affected by Cyclone Idai.
Maternity Waiting Homes at Chipinge district hospital, Mutambara Mission hospital and Birchenough Bridge district hospital were rehabilitated to ensure pregnant women who live far from hospitals and those with high risk pregnancies could be accommodated comfortably close to these facilities towards their due date.
This has since encouraged more women to visit health centres for antenatal care, thus improving HIV testing rates for pregnant mothers.
Manicaland acting provincial maternal, neo-natal and child health officer Dr Tendai Nyafesa said the strengthening of maternal services had helped improve the province’s PMTCT coverage.
“From the latest statistics that we have, the PMTCT coverage is now above 98 percent. Most of our mothers are being tested during pregnancy and initiated on ART and also the exposed babies are being initiated on prophylaxis so I am happy that a lot of strides have been achieved through this support. We have also intensified in terms of infant diagnosis where we are saying at birth we test the babies and we get results early so that we initiate those who are positive,” he said.
At Mutambara Mission Hospital Family Child Health clinic sister in charge Ella Saunyama said women were being encouraged to book for antenatal care as early as 12 weeks to allow health workers to detect any complications or infections like HIV.
“The mother is tested and we encourage the partner to be tested so that they start treatment as soon as possible. This has worked such that we haven’t had a baby that tested HIV positive at birth from a mother who booked early. Mothers from hard to reach areas used to come here to book and for antenatal care and HIV testing, but we now have Rusitu Mission hospital and Chimanimani rural hospital also providing the services closer to the communities,” she said.
In 2022, the hospital had recorded two HIV positive babies, both from mothers who had not booked and had presented to the hospital late. Unfortunately, one of the babies had died.
Birchenough Bridge Hospital matron Mr Nicholas Sithole said through the interventions from China Aid, more mothers were coming to the health centre early allowing for the detection of HIV early.
“If these mothers come early, it means there is close monitoring and they get their medicines and can be monitored closely. It is now very rare to get a positive baby from a positive mother after these interventions,” he said.
Chipinge District hospital matron Sister Juliet Chifamba said the district had also seen a decline in mother to child transmission of HIV.
“We have seen an improvement in the number of women coming to book for antenatal care and in the management of cases.
“Most of the mothers who are taking ART have birth to HIV negative babies so this is a significant improvement. Since January this year, we have had one baby that tested negative at birth but when they came back at six weeks, the baby tested positive,” she said.
The country continues to work towards improving access to antenatal care by pregnant mothers towards the achievement of 100 percent PMTCT coverage for more women like Jane to deliver HIV free children.
Online Reporter