Field acceptability and effectiveness of the routine utilization of zidovudine to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 in West Africa

Abstract

The major drawback with the implementation of a short zidovudine regimen to reduce MTCT is HIV counselling and testing procedures. For women who consent, zidovudine is well accepted and efficacious under routine circumstances.

Pediatric Viral Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 RNA Levels, Timing of Infection, and Disease Progression in African HIV-1-Infected Children

“…Third, between March 1998 and November 1998, children were born to 137 mothers who were enrolled in an open-label ZDV cohort. 28 This cohort was initiated when the results of the placebo-controlled trial conducted in nonbreastfeeding women in Thailand showing efficacy of a short ZDV regimen were made public. 29 Women received the ZDV regimen used during the ANRS 049a trial.…”

Effectiveness of a city-wide program to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission in Lusaka, Zambia

“…Thus, we rely upon estimates of population coverage, the proportion of infected-exposed mother-infant pairs in the population that ingest a peripartum dose of NVP, as the primary metric for PMTCT program monitoring in Lusaka. Until this study, we, like others [5,6], have relied upon available process indicators to estimate population coverage; the number of prophylactic doses prescribed was divided by an estimate of the number of HIV-exposed infants in the population. However, this approach is potentially flawed [7].…”

Field Evaluation of a Rapid Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Serial Serologic Testing Algorithm for Diagnosis and Differentiation of HIV Type 1 (HIV-1), HIV-2, and Dual HIV-1-HIV-2 Infections in West African Pregnant Women

“…Simple voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) approaches are increasingly required, especially in situations in which the rapid identification of HIV infection is warranted, such as in pregnant women during gestation and in the peripartum period (3, 6, 13). For instance, among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Côte d'Ivoire, among whom the prevalence of HIV infection is estimated to be 10%, the increasing implementation of low-cost interventions to reduce mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) with short antiretroviral regimens has created new demands for VCT (22).For this purpose, the use of standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), designed for batch testing, followed by confirmatory Western blot (WB) tests, if necessary, is now considered time-and money-consuming (5, 23). Sophisticated equipment (such as automatic pipettes, incubators, washers, and readers) must be available, is costly to purchase and maintain, and must be located near clean water and a reliable supply of electricity.…”

“…Simple voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) approaches are increasingly required, especially in situations in which the rapid identification of HIV infection is warranted, such as in pregnant women during gestation and in the peripartum period (3, 6, 13). For instance, among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Côte d'Ivoire, among whom the prevalence of HIV infection is estimated to be 10%, the increasing implementation of low-cost interventions to reduce mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) with short antiretroviral regimens has created new demands for VCT (22).…”