Working with National Authorities in Angola to increase and integrate Quality PMTCT Services

Angola is one of countries with the lowest HIV prevalence rates in sub-Saharan Africa (2.1%). Since the end of the civil war (2003), there has been a dramatic increase in population movement to neighboring countries with higher HIV prevalence. The National Institute to fight AIDS (INLS) estimates that 60% of the people infected are women, and 7.1% of the AIDS cases are likely due to mother to child transmission.

Since October 2007, the Essential Health System Strengthening Project (EHSP/SES) financed by USAID Angola in coordination with the National Institute to fight AIDS (INLS) scaled up integrated Volunteer Counseling and Testing (VCT) and Prevention Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT) services in seven provinces of Angola.

Between 2008-2009, 44 new PMTCT sites were established, integrating VCT into antenatal care (ANC), delivery rooms, and family planning services allowing pregnant woman to receive a complete package of services. Standards to increase quality of services were developed and 213 health staff were trained on integrated approaches allowing in 2008, to counsel and test 5,546 pregnant women in seven PMTCT sites and expanded to 44 PMTCT sites in 2009 examining 26,197 pregnant women that received CT with 786 HIV+ (3.0 %), 174 receiving therapy during pregnancy (HAART) labor and delivery (AZT therapy), including newborn babies.

The EHSP experience demonstrated that integrating PMTCT into ANC services increased the number of HIV+ pregnant women who were provided with ARVs during pregnancy, labor and delivery reducing the possibility of transmission of the virus from mother to the newborn baby.