Prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programme in KwaZulu‐Natal,South Africa: an evaluation of PMTCT implementation and integration into routine maternal,child and women’s health services

Objectives To evaluate prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) implementation and integration of PMTCT with routine maternal and child health services in two districts of KwaZulu‐Natal; to report PMTCT coverage, to compare recorded and reported information, and to describe responsibilities of nurses and lay counsellors. Methods Interviews were conducted with mothers in post‐natal wards (PNW) and immunisation clinics; antenatal and child health records were reviewed. Interviews were conducted with nurses and lay counsellors in primary health care clinics. Results Eight hundred and eighty‐two interviews were conducted with mothers: 398 in PNWs and 484 immunisation clinics. During their recent pregnancy, 98.6% women attended antenatal care (ANC); 60.8% attended their first ANC in the third trimester, and 97.3% were tested for HIV. Of 312 mothers reporting themselves HIV positive during ANC, 91.3% received nevirapine, 78.2% had a CD4 count carried out, and 33.1% had a CD4 result recorded. In the immunisation clinic, 47.6% HIV‐exposed babies had a PCR test, and 47.0% received co‐trimoxazole. Of HIV‐positive mothers, 42.1% received follow‐up care, mainly from lay counsellors. In 12/26 clinics, there was a dedicated PMTCT nurse, PCR testing was not offered in 14/26 clinics, and co‐trimoxazole was unavailable in 13/26 immunisation clinics. Nurses and lay counsellors disagreed about their roles and responsibilities, particularly in the post‐natal period. Conclusions There is high coverage of PMTCT interventions during pregnancy and delivery, but follow‐up of mothers and infants is poor. Poor integration of PMTCT services into routine care, lack of clarity about health worker roles and poor record keeping create barriers to accessing services post‐delivery.