Session: 4 Role of Maternal and Child Health Services in the prevention of HIV infection in infants and young children

1
Session 4 Role of Maternal and Child Health
Services in the prevention of HIV infection in
infants and young children

• Dr.Pushpalatha,
• Assistant Professor,
• Dept of Pediatrics,
• Vani Vilas Hospital,
• Bangalore

2
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH SERVICES
PPTCT programs need to be integrated as an
essential part of MCH care. All mothers and
infants will benefit from the integration of
PPTCT into existing care services.
3
Maternal and child health services

• MCH programmes facilitate PPTCT by providing
• Essential antenatal care
• Family planning services
• ARV prophylaxis
• Safer delivery practices
• Counseling and support for the womans chosen
  infant feeding method

4

• Many elements of PPTCT programmes parallel and
  complement initiatives of MCH services.
• Some of the essential components of MCH are
• Essential obstetric care
• Safe abortion services
• Strengthening of FRUs and emergency obstetric
  care
• Promotion of institutional deliveries and 24 hr
  delivery services at PHCs and CHCs
• Baby friendly hospitals

5

• At present, these services are provided under the
  RCH program, which also includes services for the
  prevention and control of RTIs/STIs, which have
  an important role in prevention of HIV

6
Comprehensive MCH services

• Recognize that the best approach to preventing
  HIV infection in infants and children begins with
  prevention of primary infection in parents-to-be.
• Provide information to prevent unintended
  pregnancies in both HIV infected women and high-
  risk women with unknown status
• Provide education in early recognition and
  treatment of STIs
• Provide education in risk reduction for MTCT

7

• Link and refer clients to community services that
  include the following elements
• Treatment for chronic primary care conditions
  including asthma, hypertension and DM
• HIV testing and counseling
• Nutritional care
• ARV treatment
• Economic assistance
• Psychosocial and/or spiritual support

8

• Educate clients about how to recognize symptoms
  of opportunistic infections and measures they can
  take to prevent such infections
• Educate clients about how to recognize early
  symptoms of HIV infection in the infant or child

9
Integration of PPTCT within postnatal MCH services

• Effective integration of PPTCT within postnatal
  MCH services is likely to increase community
  acceptance of PPTCT programmes and strengthen
  maternal care, infant care and family care.

10
Maternal Care-protecting mothers health by
providing medical and psychosocial
support. Infant Care-growth and development
nutritional support,immunization and early HIV
testing. Family Care-provides social
support,testing and counselling for family
membersreferrals to community services.
11
The PPTCT program

• The 4 prongs of comprehensive care in PPTCT are
• Primary prevention of HIV infection
• Prevention of unintended pregnancies in HIV
  infected women
• Prevention of HIV transmission from HIV infected
  women to their infants
• Provision of treatment, care and support to HIV
  infected women, their infants and their families

12

• Without intervention, the risk of MTCT is 25-40
• Combination interventions can reduce the MTCT
  rate by upto 40 in breast feeding populations
• Because ARV prophylaxis alone does not provide
  long term benefit to the mothers infection, on
  going care and support are needed
• MCH services can act as an entry point to the
  range of services that can provide care and
  support to HIV positive women and affected family
  members
• Linkages to community services provide enhanced
  care and support.

13
THANK YOU