Nutrition and HIV/AIDS: A Training Manual - Linkages Project

umbilical cord should be carefully handled. Elective Caesarian sections are used forprevention of MTCT but may be risky in certain environments.Family planningThe contraceptive prevalence rate in sub-Saharan Africa remains low at 17 percent(UNICEF 2000). Available safe and effective contraception as well as qualityreproductive health counseling for PMTCT programs are important. See Nutrition JobAids for Regions with High HIV Prevalence for additional information.Conclusion (slides 34, 35, 36)The future of PMTCT depends on programmers, policymakers, and researchers. Whilesuccessful programs are now being implemented, an even greater investment isneeded to address this problem with particular emphasis on infant feeding.At the policy level, many governments have developed national guidelines onPMTCT. There is a need to share experiences among countries and ensure thatguidelines are based on current research findings and programmatic experience.Finally, further research is needed on PMTCT. Note: Explore students’ ideas aboutthe future of research, as well as programming and policy needs in PMTCT, andinfant feeding.ReferencesBobat, R, D Moodley, A Coutsoudis, and H Coovadia. 1997. Breastfeeding by HIVinfectedwomen and outcome in their infants: A cohort study from Durban, SouthAfrica. AIDS 11: 1627-33.Bomsel, M. 1997. Transcytosis of infectious human immunodeficiency virus across atight human epithelial cell line barrier. Nat Med 3: 42-47.206