Objective: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that countries adopt more effective antiretroviral regimens to enhance the effectiveness of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection (PMTCT). The present study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of PMTCT program implemented in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Methods: A cohort study was conducted in which 273 pairs of HIV-infected pregnant women (mean age: 25 ± 5 years) and their newborns participated. They were followed-up at 15 medical settings from September 2004 through December 2009 in Lubumbashi, DRC. PMTCT intervention consisted of oral administration of Nevirapine in intra partum and the association Lamivudine- Zidovudine for 5 days in post-partum to the mothers, whereas the newborns received 0.6 ml of Nevirapine within 72 hours after birth, and then 1.2 ml oral Zidovudine twice a day for 7 days. The effectiveness of the PMTCT was evaluated by considering the rate of mother-to-child transmission of HIV after delivery.
Findings: Overall maternal HIV prevalence rate was 4.6%. HIV testing in infants at birth was 8.8%. In addition, a 47% increase of CD4+ cell count was noted (280 at baseline and 411 after delivery) in mothers thanks to the antiretroviral therapy (ART).
Conclusion: Results from this study, the first to assess the effectiveness of PMTCT in DRC, showed reduced rates of MTCT at birth when compared to the national rate (15-20%), suggests that the PMTCT program implemented in Lubumbashi might be a useful anti-HIV/AIDS public health intervention in the country.