230 babies born with HIV in Gauteng in six months

Sarah Mokoena’s five-month-old daughter is among the more than 230 babies born with HIV in Gauteng during the first six months of this year.

Despite the availability of drugs to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV for over 25 years, the persistence of new cases highlights ongoing challenges in effectively implementing these interventions.

Mokoena noted how her journey through MTCT of HIV affected her emotionally and mentally. Her HIV-positive status during pregnancy brought uncertainty about her baby’s health.

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“Despite diligently attending antenatal clinics and receiving support from health care providers, the news that my daughter had also contracted HIV was devastating,” she said.

MTCT still prevalent

This followed the City of Tshwane health department’s stated concern over the prevalence of MTCT of HIV in the Tshwane district.

The department said for the period January to June, 232 babies in Gauteng tested positive for HIV, with almost 40 from Tshwane. Rina Marx, MMC for health in Tshwane, said there were several reasons MTCT was still prevalent, which including lack of male partner testing for HIV.

Another reason was wet nursing by an HIV-positive woman whose status was unknown to the mother and pregnant mothers not accessing or reporting late for antenatal care at clinics.

“Breast-feeding mothers who tested HIV-negative during pregnancy, contract HIV later on and transmit it to the baby.

Underuse of pre-exposure prophylaxis treatment was also a problem.

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According to Melanie Bisnauth from the University of Witwatersrand, School of Public Health, it was important to dissect the various layers of vulnerability when it came to women, pregnant women and their newborn babies, and the migrant mother on the move.

She said prevention of MTCT of HIV required pregnant women to take life-long antiretroviral therapy to prevent the onward transmission of the virus to their babies during pregnancy, birth or breast-feeding.

“Treatment interruptions can occur due to many reasons and lead to the risk of HIV transmission and poorer health outcomes for both the mother and baby,” she said.

Bisnauth said there were negative attitudes which “exist among some health care providers which can pose major barriers to a woman seeking antenatal care”.

“Some attitudes stem from over exhaustion, burnout and feeling like they don’t have a voice in decision-making.

“Health care providers need better opportunities to build closer relations with each other,” she said.

Clinics should offer more support

Mokoena emphasised clinics should offer more comprehensive support to mothers living with HIV and pointed out how the system lacks in such cases.

“Sometimes, the clinic was overcrowded and I had to wait for hours just to see a nurse,” Mokoena said.

“There were times when I felt like I needed more support and information.

“I believe clinics should offer more comprehensive support to mothers living with HIV. They should provide easier access to medications”.

Aids Foundation of South Africa noted that barriers in preventing MTCT involved the poor management of unsuppressed viral load in HIV-positive pregnant women.

It also cited a shortage of human resources in facilities, causing overcrowding and long waiting times, leading to patients disengaging from care and lack of adherence by health workers on the implementation of guidelines.