Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Health Reporter
11 April 2002
FREE anti-HIV drugs are now being given to HIV-positive pregnant women at 35 centres to reduce transmission of the virus to the unborn child.
Five children are thought to be born every hour infected with HIV. It has been shown that giving appropriate control drugs to the HIV-positive mother during pregnancy results in a dramatic drop in mother-to-child infection.
Unlike South Africa, where activists have been locked in court battles to press their government to make drugs accessible, Zimbabwe is already offering Niverapine, which is known to cut the risk of mother to child transmission by 50 percent. Women have to be willing to undergo HIV tests before they are allowed into the scheme.
Plans are already underway to provide a comprehensive package for participating mothers to be given priority when the envisaged distribution of anti-retroviral drugs in public institutions begins.
Free
Germany's Boehringer Ingel-heim, which makes Niverapine, is supplying the drug free of charge for the next five years.
Niverapine is recommended by the World Health Organisation and other top international health institutions to cut the risk of mothers passing HIV to their babies.
Paediatrician and head of the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare's (Parent) Mother-To-Child Transmission project, Dr Inam Chitsike, has said it was the Government's intention to reach out to more than half of district hospitals and all major hospitals by the end of the year.
"We hope to have gone full scale in all public health institutions by the end of 2003. Our next step is MTCT-Plus," said Dr Chitsike.
The 35 centres, some of which are in rural areas already have the required infrastructure including laboratories for testing HIV and trained personnel to counsel the mothers.
Government had also put aside an allocation to equip public institutions for the programmes.
However, Dr Chitsike said the response from pregnant women had been poor as the majority of mothers were reluctant to be tested for HIV because of the problems associated with the condition.
It is estimated that 30 percent of pregnant women in Zimbabwe are HIV-positive and most of them were likely to pass on the virus to their unborn child.
Zimbabweans are generally reluctant to know their HIV status because of the stigma attached to the epidemic. Until recently HIV and Aids were associated with promiscuity. Also, ignorance of the benefits derived from knowing one's status is a major factor.
"I am still collecting statistics but the response has been poor because for one a mother to participate, she has to be tested for HIV first.
"We still have to go on a process to educate families because there seems to be a lot of distorted information out there. If a mother refuses to take part in the programme we also respect that," added Dr Chitsike.
On the contrary, the South African government has been under tremendous pressure from activists to expand dispensing of Niverapine beyond the 18 pilot sites where its efficacy is being researched.
Resources
The South African government is denying claims by activists that it had a constitutional obligation to provide the drug, saying it did not have the financial resources and that it doubts the efficacy and safety of the treatment.
President Mbeki is on record as saying the drug could do more harm rather than addressing the condition it is supposed to treat.
In separate interviews yesterday, some women living with HIV and Aids and with basic information on the subject had reservations on the practicality of the programme.
As much as they appreciated steps to save unborn babies, they were also worried about the health of the expecting mother.
"It's a good idea but I personally have reservations. Targeted women do not know what choices are there, if any. I also get a feeling that unlike South African women, ours have not yet been prepared even to go for HIV test.
"Some rural women who have been put on the programme do not know what is going on and even understand what HIV is. I wonder how practical this whole thing would be," said Ms Petudzayi Nyanhanda of the Network for Positive Women.
She said the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare should have come up with the full package by now.
"The ministry could have sourced antiretrovirals for mothers all these years they were piloting the project. We do not know how long it is going to take for these mothers to access the drugs. In the meantime, orphans will be accumulating and what is their future?" said a member of the Zimbabwe National Network for People Living With HIV/Aids.
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