Nt1310 Unit 2 Term Paper

Question 3 HIV can be transmitted from the HIV positive mother to the infant during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and breastfeeding. Without an intervention, transmission rates range from 15% to 45%, but the rate can be reduced to below 5% with effective prevention programs (1). These interventions are known as prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT). PMTCT involves antiretroviral treatment (ART) for both the mother and infant. PMTCT also includes procedures to prevent HIV acquisition in the pregnant woman and provides breastfeeding practices. Access to PMTCT has improved over time, and the number of women in the 21 African priority countries, as determined by UNAIDS, increased from 33% in 2009 to 68% in 2013 (2). PMTCT in resource low settings has many barriers to effective prevention and care at the health policy, health system, community, and individual level. National protocols and their ability to invest in health infrastructure affect …show more content…
Unintended pregnancies are high among women living with HIV, and family planning programs have low utilization rates in HIV programs (3). Health facilities are not designed for the integration of services and would require reorganization and additional space. Health systems in low resource settings do not have the financial means to build the required new, integrated service plan. The integration would also increase the wait time patients face to receive services, because these clinics are often already overcrowded. Finally, within the health systems context, to integrate services there would be a need to restructure and train staff about HIV, MCH, and family planning. Integration would provide more comprehensive care for patients if they were able to get all of their health needs in one place and at one time from a single