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Antiretroviral Drug Regimens to Prevent Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV: A Review of Scientific, Program, and Policy Advances for Sub-Saharan Africa

  • The Global Epidemic (Q Abdool Karim, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Considerable advances have been made in the effort to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) in sub-Saharan Africa. Clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of antiretroviral regimens to interrupt HIV transmission through the antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal periods. Scientific discoveries have been rapidly translated into health policy, bolstered by substantial investment in health infrastructure capable of delivering increasingly complex services. A new scientific agenda is also emerging, one that is focused on the challenges of effective and sustainable program implementation. Finally, global campaigns to “virtually eliminate” pediatric HIV and dramatically reduce HIV-related maternal mortality have mobilized new resources and renewed political will. Each of these developments marks a major step in regional PMTCT efforts; their convergence signals a time of rapid progress in the field, characterized by an increased interdependency between clinical research, program implementation, and policy. In this review, we take stock of recent advances across each of these areas, highlighting the challenges—and opportunities—of improving health services for HIV-infected mothers and their children across the region.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Charles Holmes for his review of the manuscript and Dr. Andreas Jahn for his insight about the Malawi national program for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

Conflict of Interest

Benjamin H. Chi declares no conflict of interest.

Jeffrey S. A. Stringer declares no conflict of interest.

Dhayendre Moodley declares no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), Plot 1275 Lubutu Road, P.O. Box 34681, Lusaka, Zambia

    Benjamin H. Chi & Jeffrey S. A. Stringer

  2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Benjamin H. Chi & Jeffrey S. A. Stringer

  3. Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

    Dhayendre Moodley

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  1. Benjamin H. Chi
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  2. Jeffrey S. A. Stringer
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  3. Dhayendre Moodley
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Correspondence to Benjamin H. Chi.

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Chi, B.H., Stringer, J.S.A. & Moodley, D. Antiretroviral Drug Regimens to Prevent Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV: A Review of Scientific, Program, and Policy Advances for Sub-Saharan Africa. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 10, 124–133 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11904-013-0154-z

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