Assessing the Feasibility, Acceptability and Effects of HIV Birth Testing in Maternity Settings in Zimbabwe
Overview
Country:
Zimbabwe
Subject Matter:
Innovative Technologies; Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health; PMTCT and HIV-free Survival
This Unitaid-funded study assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and effects of implementing HIV testing at birth testing using point-of-care (POC) HIV nucleic acid testing (NAT) in maternity settings in Zimbabwe. The study also examined the impact of POC birth testing on retention in care and impact on subsequent testing at 6 weeks.
Data Collection Period: 11/2018 – 06/2021
Publications and Presentations:
- Findings presented at the 27th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, March 2020: “Maternal Risk Stratification to Identify High-Risk Infants for HIV Birth Testing“
- Findings published in BMC Pediatrics, September 2022: “‘The baby will have the right beginning’: a qualitative study on mother and health worker views on point-of-care HIV birth testing across 10 sites in Zimbabwe”
- Findings published in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, January 2024: “The Cascade of Care for Early Infant Diagnosis in Zimbabwe: Point of Care HIV Testing at Birth and 6–8 Weeks”
