Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV: a review of the achievements and challenges in Burkina-Faso

Abstract

Background

Burkina-Faso’s HIV/AIDS program is one of the most successful in Africa, with a declining HIV prevalence and treatment outcomes that rival those of developed countries. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) guidelines in Burkina-Faso, initiated in the year 2000, were revised in 2004, 2006 and 2010. The guideline document has since undergone several stages of improvement, largely based on recommendations from WHO, with adaptations by local experts in the field. Option B+ adopted since August 2014 in Burkina-Faso has enabled maintenance of mothers on longer treatment and increasing their survival and that of their children. Through this review, we describe the achievements and challenges of HIV PMTCT programs in Burkina-Faso.

Aims of study

This study had the following objectives: 1) describing the historical perspective of PMTCT implementation in Burkina-Faso; 2) presenting the effectiveness of interventions at improving PMTCT service delivery and promoting retention of mothers and babies in care; and 3) determining the impact of male partner involvement on PMTCT in Burkina-Faso.

Methodology

A literature search was conducted in PubMed and Google. Search terms included the following keywords: “HIV testing”; “prevention”; “mother”; “child”; “male partner”; “counseling”; “involvement”; “participation”; and the grouped terms “PMTCT and partners”; “VCT”; “barriers and/or factors”; “Male involvement in PMTCT”; and “Burkina-Faso”. Data collection took place from May to October 2015. The search was limited to articles published between January 2002 and December 2015. UNICEF and UNAIDS web sites were also used to find relevant abstracts and documents.

Results

Studies have revealed that with PMTCT, HIV transmission rate moved from 10.4% in 2006 to 0% in 2015. The PMTCT program remains the best way to care for HIV-infected pregnant women and their babies. The current PMTCT policy is based on evidence that male partner involvement is associated with women’s completion of PMTCT.

Conclusion

This study shows that the reduction in mother to child transmission of HIV in Burkina-Faso over the years is mainly due to the improvement of PMTCT programs. Efforts still need to be made about the involvement of male partners.

Keywords:

• HIV/AIDS
• PTMTCT
• HAART
• Burkina Faso

Acknowledgment

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of Montari Soumou Arsinel Diorfis for proofreading the manuscript.

Abbreviations list

AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; ANC, antenatal care; ART, antiretroviral therapy; ARV, antiretroviral; AZT, Zidovudine; CNLS, Conseil National de Lutte contre le SIDA; EFV, Efavirenz; HAART, highly active antiretroviral therapy; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; MTCT, mother-to-child transmission; NNRTI, non-nucleoside-reverse-transcriptase inhibitors; NPV, Nevirapine; NRTI, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; PI, protease inhibitor; PMTCT, prevention of mother-to-child transmission; RT, reverse transcriptase; rtPCR, real-time PCR; SEP/CNLS, Secrétariat Exécutif Permanent du Conseil National de Lutte contre le SIDA; TDF, Tenofovir; UNAIDS, United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS; UNGASS, United Nations General Assembly Special Session; UNICEF, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund; VCT, voluntary counselling and testing; WHO, World Health Organization.

Availability of data and material

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Author contributions

All authors contributed towards data analysis, drafting and critically revising the paper, gave final approval of the version to be published, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.