Preventing Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV : African Synergy’s Life-Changing Initiative

At a time when HIV was a taboo and those living with the virus were technically banished from the society, the Pan-African non-governmental organisation, African Synergy Against AIDS and Suffering began a mission which seemed impossible. It was that of dwelling on the fate of HIV-positive pregnant women, who systematically gave birth to HIV-positive babies. The prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV was the first programme launched by African Synergy after its creation.
African First Ladies immediately began a three-year Emergency Plan from 2003-2005. The aim was to promote HIV/AIDS prevention with special emphasis on national efforts to fight against mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Within the framework of the Emergency Plan, First Ladies of African Synergy Against AIDS and Suffering in their respective countries had to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV by facilitating early prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV through awareness-raising campaigns which targeted women of child-bearing age and facilitated their treatment. At the time of implementing the project, one of the medical experts, Dr Grace Dion Ngute, who is today General Coordinator of the Circle of Friends of Cameroon (CERAC) said amongst 10 HIV positive pregnant women, at least three to four gave birth to babies infected with the virus and the death rate was high. 
With a mandate from African First Ladies, Dr Grace Dion Ngute said they had to educate the population on exactly how mother-to-child transmission of HIV was done. Alongside a host of other experts, they began a sensitisation and training workshop for trainers in Guinea, Niger, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Mali and Cameroon on what to do when a pregnant woman came for prenatal consultation. In this light, some 400 health care providers were trained to train other staff in their countries on what to do with HIV positive pregnant women during post partum and early post partum. Also, some 55 Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) sites were created and reinforced in all the countries. During awareness raising campaigns, Dr Grace Dion Ngute said thousands of rapid HIV tests and doses of Nevirapine tablets (which was the only drug HIV infected women had to take at the time to prevent the transmission of the virus to their babies) was distributed. Immediately a baby was born, there was the early infant diagnosis of HIV to be sure all the measures they had put in place were yielding fruits. This test was carried out at the CIRCB, a research structure which is fruit of the advocacy of the First Ladies of Africa. 
Since research studies revealed that through the breast milk viral particles could be transmitted to the newborn baby, HIV positive mothers were advised not to breastfeed their babies. These babies began dying from malnutrition and diarrhoea, instead of HIV and the pressure from in-laws on why a mother was not breastfeeding her baby was very high. The team of medical experts had to carry out counselling sessions with mothers and African First Ladies to improve access to foods that substituted breast milk. African Synergy through its partnership with pharmaceutical companies provided mothers with artif...