Rehema, a 25 year old married woman from rural Tanzania visits the reproductive health clinic for prenatal care. She is screened for HIV and her tests indicate that she is infected with the virus. As she starts the five mile trek home, questions run through her head. Will she tell her husband? Will he disown or beat her? What about her family? Who will support her? What if she cannot deliver her baby at the health center and receive medication to reduce risk of infecting her baby? Where did this infection come from?
These questions reflect some challenges in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Tanzania. These challenges are linked to lingering social stigma for those with HIV, gender inequality, and inadequate health services. Just because a woman is regularly screened for HIV and informed of her results, does not guarantee that her child will be protected from the virus.
While strategies have been developed to reduce the risk of HIV infection to the unborn and provide care for the parents, socio-economic factors remain major challenges. Greater attention to such factors will increase the success of preventing mother-to-child transmission and reduce the number of infants born with HIV.
Jan Emswiler is a project coordinator with MCC Tanzania.
