Initialisms

This document is an update of the national PMTCT Policy and Guidelines 2010. It aims to provide continued guidance towards a reduction in the vertical transmission of HIV, building on work done since the inception of the programme and the 2010 Policy and Guidelines document. In line with the international standards for a comprehensive strategy, the PMTCT policy recognises that in order to prevent HIV among women and children, the four elements of PMTCT are integral.

These include:
*             Primary prevention of HIV, especially among women of childbearing age;

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance to national AIDS programmes and partners actively involved in the country response to AIDS on use of core indicators to measure and report on the national response.

The HIV sentinel surveillance data has helped to map the epidemic and monitor HIV infection trends in the country and has served as an advocacy tool, resulting in the mobilization of partners, resources and development of innovative approaches by the national response to HIV and AIDS. The 2011 HIV survey was the 22nd round to be conducted in the country by the Department of Health. The South African antenatal clinic survey is done annually in October to obtain an estimate of the point prevalence for that year. The data set generated from this survey is used by mathematical modelers such WHO/UNAIDS reference group and others to estimate the rate of new HIV infections(incidence) and HIV-associated deaths are derived through mathematical models applied to HIV prevalence estimates.

Please find the circular regarding the initiation of ARV's to HIV positive children 5 years and under irrespective of CD4 count and WHO clinical staging. Please note that this change is effective immediately and this must be communicated to, and implemented by all initiating facilities including those that are run by partners.

The "tried and tested" models described reflect the range of great work being done at the coal face to prevent HIV infection and mother-to-child prevention of HIV. The models and tools have been developed by frontline nurses and doctors across South Africa and in neighboring countries that are facing huge challenges with limited resources.

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Preamble and Contents

This report assesses the general levels of transmitted and acquired drug resistance in select geographical areas of low- and middle-income countries. It is based on two distinct data sources: surveys performed to assess transmitted and acquired drug resistance using standardized WHO methods (WHO surveys) and a broad systematic review of the published literature on transmitted and acquired drug resistance. Findings from the monitoring of early warning indicators of HIV drug resistance are also presented and discussed. This report is organized as follows.

Leaders from around the world attending the 2011 High Level Meeting on AIDS committed to work towards the elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015 and reducing AIDS-related maternal mortality. This is to be accomplished through the implementation of a new Global Plan* for scaling up comprehensive prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV
(PMTCT) programmes. The Global Plan calls for broader thinking and action both within and outside the formal health-care delivery system. An important feature of the plan is its emphasis on community engagement as an integral part of the scale-up strategy.

This guide summarises The Union's experience in developing approaches to integrated TB-HIV care for adults in resource-limited settings. It is recommended for health professionals at the implementation level and national programme staff in charge of policy and practices for collaborative TB-HIV activities.

Within ten years of implementing the national Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programme in South Africa interventions to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV are now offered in more than 95% of public antenatal and maternity facilities country-wide. However, this is the first national evaluation to determine the effectiveness of the National PMTCT programme. The 2010 South African PMTCT Evaluation (SAPMTCTE) will serve as a baseline to monitor the effectiveness of the antenatal and intrapartum aspects of the national PMTCT programme (i.e., early MTCT rates).

Recent developments suggest that substantial clinical and programmatic advantages can come from adopting a single, universal regimen both to treat HIV-infected pregnant women and to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. This streamlining should maximize PMTCT programme performance through better alignment and linkages with antiretroviral therapy (ART) programmes at every level of service delivery. One of WHO’s two currently recommended PMTCT antiretroviral (ARV) programme options, Option B, takes this unified approach.