Effectiveness of infant feeding strategies to prevent mother-to-child HIV vertical transmission in Ekiti State

Abstract

Worldwide, the HIV epidemic has had a major impact on maternal, child health and survival. An estimated 12 million and 1.1 million were women and children respectively have been infected with HIV. During the last few years, about 30-50% of approximately 500,000 infants were infected with HIV worldwide annually through breastfeeding and 1600 new infections occur daily [1,2]. In 2012, 3.3 million children were living with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency virus) of who 260,000 were new infections. However, about 370, 000 children were infected newly with HIV through mother-to-child transmission [3]. Over 1,000 children were infected newly with HIV daily; out of these more than half die as a result of AIDS, because of inadequate access to HIV treatment. Globally, in the year 2011, about 34 million [31.4 million-35.9 million] people were living with HIV, including 3.4 million (3,000,000-3,800,000) children less than 15 years of age. In 2010, about 250,000 (220,000-290,000) children, less than 15 years of age, died from acquired immunodeficiency disease syndrome (AIDS) related causes [4]. Nigeria is one of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa continues with the highest loads of pediatric AIDS [5]. In 2011, Nigeria had an estimated 440,000 children less than 15 years, living with HIV. Mother-tochild transmission (MTCT) accounts for 90% of HIV infections in children under the age of 15 years [4]. Prevention of motherto-child transmission (PMTCT) has become a key public health priority in Nigeria, a country faced with 56,681 annual HIVpositive births and more than 210,000 women living with HIV [6]. The national PMTCT programme in Nigeria commenced in 2002 with supports from the World Health Organization (WHO) and The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) [7]. There are about 1,216 PMTCT service points across the Nigeria presently. In 2009, 18.7% of pregnant women living with HIV received antiretroviral (ARV) agents to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), showing a significant increase in PMTCT coverage from 5.3% in 2007, although the coverage for ARV prophylaxis during the breastfeeding period has still remained low [8]. Providing ARV prophylaxis to pregnant women living with HIV has prevented Volume 5 Issue 2 2017