By Gwendolyn Burke | Development Officer
“The dream of ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Mozambique can become a reality, if we can collaborate to find ways to keep women and families in care for longer.”
That was the clear consensus in late January at the gathering in Maputo for mothers2mothers’ (m2m) official launch in Mozambique. The launch brings the number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa where m2m operates to eight.
Mozambique is one of the countries worst affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Estimates suggest that around one in eight Mozambicans is living with HIV and 130,000 pregnant women are in need of antiretrovirals (ARVs). The country has made progress in reducing infections among children and increasing both the number of women and couples testing for HIV and the number of HIV-positive pregnant women on ARVs, yet like many resource-limited countries, Mozambique struggles with retaining HIV-positive pregnant women and new mothers in care, which has resulted in an increased risk of HIV transmission during the breastfeeding period and lower rates of testing among HIV-exposed infants.
“This can change. In countries facing similar challenges to Mozambique, mothers2mothers has achieved virtual elimination of paediatric AIDS for the past three years in a row among our enrolled clients,” m2m President and CEO, Frank Beadle de Palomo, told the audience gathered for the launch.
m2m has formed a strategic partnership with the Mozambican Health Ministry (MISAU) to bolster the country’s efforts to eliminate paediatric AIDS and reach global goals. m2m will roll out its Mentor Mother Model—through which HIV-positive women help expectant mothers and breastfeeding women to avoid passing the virus on to their children—across the country through a blend of direct service delivery, by partnering with other NGOs, and by providing technical assistance. An initial $6 million in funding over a two-year period is being provided by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), administered through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Working in close collaboration with MISAU, Jhpiego, and other partners, m2m will initially provide Mentor Mother services in 24 high-volume health facilities, including in the provinces of Zambezia and Sofala, which have among the highest rates of HIV in the country. m2m Mentor Mothers will work in these facilities and the surrounding communities, visiting women and families at home who have not accessed medical care or who have dropped out of treatment and linking them to Mentor Mothers at the health facilities. In addition to direct service delivery, our technical assistance and implementation will include developing robust curriculum, training, and monitoring and evaluation tools to help MISAU and other partners.
“mothers2mothers has a long track record of working as a trusted partner to governments and NGOs to end paediatric AIDS,” Frank said. “We have seen our Mentor Mother Model become national policy in nations including South Africa and Kenya. Now, we look forward to sharing this knowledge and expertise with our colleagues in Mozambique to ensure the vision of an HIV-free generation becomes a reality.”
For more information on m2m’s programme in Mozambique, please click here.
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