12 HIV negative babies have been born to 12 HIV positive women attending antenatal health care at Saint Faith Hospital and Maternity, Awka, Anambra.
The Matron of the hospital, Mrs Chisom Ezulike, disclosed this to Journalists Alliance for Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV in Nigeria (JAPiN), Anambra state chapter, in Awka on Friday, 24 October.
Ezulike stated that the 100% success
was recorded by the hospital under its ‘Prevention of Mother to Child
Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programme, which did not record a single
positive baby out of the 12 HIV positive pregnant mothers that enrolled
in the hospital.
The matron attributed the success to voluntary acceptance of the mothers, while appealing to other HIV positive mothers to take advantage of the programme for the safety of their babies.
Furthermore, she stated that out of the 621 pregnant women tested for HIV by the hospital, about 50 of
them were positive, adding that the PMTCT programme, since activation in the hospital in April 2013, had recorded 60% response.
She said, “What we meant by enrol is not that we are not getting positive pregnant mothers, but to push them to start taking Anti-retroviral drugs because some of them even deny being positive. After testing and you are sure they are positive, they deny their status, so we have many of them, but those who agreed to come and access the care are only 12.”
Ezulike added that the PMTCT programme in the hospital was being sponsored by the Family Health International.
The matron attributed the success to voluntary acceptance of the mothers, while appealing to other HIV positive mothers to take advantage of the programme for the safety of their babies.
Furthermore, she stated that out of the 621 pregnant women tested for HIV by the hospital, about 50 of
them were positive, adding that the PMTCT programme, since activation in the hospital in April 2013, had recorded 60% response.
She said, “What we meant by enrol is not that we are not getting positive pregnant mothers, but to push them to start taking Anti-retroviral drugs because some of them even deny being positive. After testing and you are sure they are positive, they deny their status, so we have many of them, but those who agreed to come and access the care are only 12.”
Ezulike added that the PMTCT programme in the hospital was being sponsored by the Family Health International.
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