Study report on prevention of mother-to-child transmission for HIV-infected pregnant women in Yunnan province

Abstract

Yunnan Province, located on the southwest border of China, has the highest number of HIV-infected people, and the epidemic has shifted from the injection drug user population in earlier years toward the general population through sexual transmission. Yunnan AIDS Care Center and Yunnan AIDS Initiative have since 2005 implemented prevention of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) projects in collaboration with international donors to demonstrate that using HAART prophylaxis is safe and feasible even in such a resource-limited, remote and rural region of China. Through our interventions, we have been able to control the MTCT rate to less than 1 %. In the process of implementation, we have also accomplished the following: Developed the capacity of local health providers to expand HIV counseling and testing services out to township hospitals and village clinics; strengthened local health network so that prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and HIV care and treatment services can be better integrated; and improved MCH services overall including the integration of HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis screening and prevention of vertical transmission. Here, we share our program achievements and experiences in the hope that they will help to promote improvement of PMTCT services for the rest of China.