Optimizing Identification and Care of Pregnant/Breastfeeding Women Living With HIV in Resource-Limited Settings

Since the mid-1990s, there have been major advances in diagnosing and providing antiretroviral therapy (ART) for pregnant women living with HIV (WLWH) in both resource-rich and resource-limited settings. Initial progress was based on the 1994 landmark perinatal trial, which showed 67% reduction in vertical transmission among infants born to non-breastfeeding mothers in the United States when zidovudine was given during pregnancy, at labour/delivery and for 6 weeks after birth. International perinatal trials began testing "short-course" zidovudine regimens during late pregnancy and at labour/delivery to develop cost-effective, feasible and deliverable interventions for low-resource environments. More recent research has focused on the delivery of cost-effective combination triple ART during pregnancy and breastfeeding for WLWH. The latest trial results indicate that providing lifetime maternal ART at the time of antenatal diagnosis improves overall survival and decreases morbidity, while reducing vertical transmission to <1%.

Translation of clinical trial results into successful widescale programme implementation remains a major challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries with high HIV seroprevalence and weak maternal and child health infrastructure. Interventions recommended earlier in the global epidemic are no longer adequate, but key points of the perinatal cascade of services remain crucial to both ensure successful HIV care for WLWH and maximize reductions in vertical transmission. Notable progress made in Botswana and Uganda is valuable to highlight country-led successes. Rapid HIV testing for pregnant women whose status is unknown, followed by immediate implementation of lifetime maternal ART, and linkage to long-term HIV care/treatment are essential. Counselling on adherence, as well as the use of long-acting ART regimens and holistic support for women's care, including psychosocial support, are also needed. A current major challenge has been the sudden reduction in international donor funding, which has had a significant negative impact on continuity and effective delivery of HIV care/treatment services.

Much progress has been made in advancing HIV interventions and programmes for WLWH and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. However, several challenges persist, which compromise delivery of effective interventions on the path to eliminate perinatal HIV transmission, and care/treatment remains suboptimal for WLWH, especially in resource-limited settings.