Keeping Babies HIV-Free

May 26, 2017This team of health workers in northern Namibia is determined to test 100% of babies  born to HIV-positive mothers. And they ' re almost there.  Squinting in the hot northern Namibian sun, a man smartly dressed in a nurse ’s uniform greets us with a warm smile. Rightwell Zulu, or “Dr. Zulu,” as he is affectionately called by his colleagues, is a nurse mentor at Nyangana District Hospital in Namibia.Zulu, together with his colleagues, Veronika Shivute and Felistas Shindimba, developed a system that has helped this hospital test nearly every baby born there to HIV-positive mothers. Their work is supported byIntraHealth International andUSAID/Namibia through theU.S. President ’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.Early infant diagnosis is critical.In Namibia, HIV prevalence is highest in the northern regions, including Kavango East, which has the third-highest HIV prevalence rate in the country. The Nyangana District Hospital provides basic health services to over 38,000 Namibians in Kavango East, including HIV testing, counseling and treatment. The hospital is known for its busy maternity ward, and is the sole facility in Nyangana equipped to carry out deliveries.An important goal for hospital staff is to determine how many HIV-exposed babies are in the district and how many of them are being tested. A baby can contract HIV while a mother is still pregnant, or after birth through breastfeeding, making early infant diagnosis critical.Zulu and his team developed...
Source: IntraHealth International - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: news