N’Djamena – Judith Haltebaye, a midwife with 15 years of expertise, has spent the past seven years serving on the Abena-Atetip Health Centre in central N’Djamena. Over time, she has supported rather a pair of of ladies folks someday of their pregnancies and past. For some, her care entails extremely enlighten note-ups, as within the case of 34-yr-earlier Menodjie, who is residing with HIV. “Menodjie came for a consultation in January, and through routine tests, we discovered she was living with HIV. At the time, she was expecting her second child,” Judith recounts.
In Chad, an estimated 65 000 ladies folks over the age of 15 accept been residing with HIV in 2023, fixed with the most up-to-date UNAIDS chronicle. The chronicle furthermore highlighted an HIV prevalence fee of 1.3% among ladies folks aged 15 to 49 years. To wrestle the virus, the Authorities of Chad launched the Prevention of Mom-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) Programme in 2005. The initiative targets to offer protection to children born to HIV-obvious mothers from an infection for the length of three serious phases: pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding.
Overall, indicators of HIV worship mothers and children in Chad accept shown valuable enchancment. The flee of mother-to-little one transmission of HIV in Chad has greatly declined, dropping from 29% in 2012 to 19% in 2023. By 2023, fixed with the same UNAIDS chronicle, 91 000 HIV-uncovered children had examined negative for the virus, and 1300 contemporary toddler infections had been averted thru the efforts of the PMTCT Programme. When when in contrast, these figures accept been 82 000 and 1100 respectively, in 2015.
“We’re proud of this progress,” says Dr Hassan Ndengar, HIV focal point for the southern district of N’Djamena. “PMTCT really saves lives. Children are the strength of a country, and they represent the future generation. That is why we must invest in them and look after their health.” In Dr Ndengar’s thought, prevention is key. “We know that if we screen pregnant women, we’ll be able to reduce transmission rate. From there, we can break the chain of infection and lower the prevalence within the population.”
Offering worship pregnant ladies folks is central to Chad’s efforts to prevent and control HIV/AIDS. Midwives, alongside docs and paramedics, play a pivotal role as front-line staff in this battle. To enhance their skill, they’ve acquired technical and financial enhance from World Health Organization (WHO). WHO’s enhance has furthermore integrated the enchancment of nationwide guides and tricks, as well as the implementation of monitoring and evaluate systems to verify the effectiveness of these efforts.
In collaboration with the Sector-broad HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Infections Programme, 750 healthcare staff accept been educated in most up-to-date years on the great management of HIV and hepatitis. “We learned that HIV/AIDS testing is a must for all women who come for antenatal consultations. From the very first contact, we must ensure they understand the importance of being screened,” says Judith Haltebaye, a midwife and one among the educated staff. If the initial test is evident, a confirmatory test is conducted. Ladies who test obvious are then supplied with free, total care, alongside with counselling and antiretroviral medicines (ARVs).
Antiretroviral medicines (ARVs) keep lives and give other folk residing with HIV the hope of a brighter future. In 2023, 7700 pregnant ladies folks in Chad required ARV therapy, and 70% of them acquired it, an prolong from 64% in 2022. The care supplied by healthcare groups has profoundly modified lives, as within the case of Menodjie. “These medicines have given me back my strength. Before, I couldn’t lift anything, not even a cup near me. Afterwards, the delivery went well, and my daughter was born without the virus,” she shares.
The success of the PMTCT Programme and its achievements in particular the huge majority of children being born HIV-free are remodeling attitudes and building belief. “We’ve seen many HIV-positive women confidently commit to another pregnancy because they know their baby will be healthy if they follow the protocol. They come back to us because they received proper care,” says Judith Haltebaye. “Thanks to PMTCT, we’re saving a lot of lives, and I’m very proud of that.”
In collaboration with the Authorities, WHO is engaged in resource mobilization, in particular thru the Global Fund, and supports the revision of standards and tricks, the enhancement of diagnostic tools, and the strengthening of recordsdata management systems. Previous addressing HIV, WHO is working to combine the control of hepatitis B and syphilis into the PMTCT Programme, as well as into maternal, neonatal, and little one health products and companies.
“This programme, which addresses three critical diseases affecting mothers and children, will enable us to improve maternal and child health, reduce mortality rates, strengthen the health system, and uphold human rights,” talked about Dr Blanche Anya, WHO Consultant in Chad. “This approach is vital because it places the patient at the centre of interventions. We are working to promote health for all.”
Chad has made valuable development toward reaching the 95-95-95 targets role by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) for HIV making an attempt out, therapy, and viral load suppression. In 2023, 71% of different folk residing with HIV in Chad knew their living, and 86% of these accept been on ARV therapy when in contrast to factual 47% and 70%, respectively, in 2015. Info on the third procedure, viral load suppression, accept been no longer readily available.
In N’Djaména, a pair of months after the birth of her daughter, Menodjie continues her therapy. For her, life has returned to a contemporary tempo, nearly making her put out of your mind the virus she’s residing with. “I feel good today, and my children are healthy too. I still remember how happy I was when I heard my daughter’s results. Knowing that she is healthy is a great relief, which I wish for all people living with HIV because every mother in the world wants the best for her child.”
