Stop the Spread of HIV from Mothers to Babies

The AMS Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV Program Building Families With Joy and Hope.
Micheal* and Rose* met while they were waiting in line for antiretroviral (ARV) drugs at the Alive Medical Services. Even though such a place is not often linked with romance, the fact that they met there meant they had already established something that many people never do: they were both aware of their respective HIV statuses. When they learned that they shared the status of being “single” as well, they bonded over their struggle of living with HIV, gradually became good friends, and eventually became a couple.
Michael and Rose don't think about how they got HIV, but they couldn't imagine they could find a suitor amongst themselves while waiting in line, more so waiting for refills for anti-retroviral medications. Before coming to Alive Medical Services, Michael was a market vendor who sold clothes.
When Michael got sick, his colleagues convinced him to go to a nearby clinic in the market and get checked out. He was gradually becoming weak which forced him to take the advice. Michael had signs and symptoms of HIV and he tested positive for HIV. He was guaranteed that he would survive and live a healthy life as long as he started and stayed on HIV treatment. Michael was then referred to Alive Medical Services for all this to come to reality. When he came to Alive Medical Services, he was started on a one-pill-per-day regimen, and within a few months of faithfully taking his medication, he began to feel like himself again.
“Meeting and falling in love with Rose were another positive side-effect of the treatment. I never expected anything good to come out of knowing that I was HIV positive. But it led me to meeting and having a child with Rose. We hope to have many more.” says Micheal.
Michael and Rose have been taking their medication on time and are living happily and healthily. The couple had a healthy baby girl who is currently enrolled in the Elimination of Mother to Child transmission of HIV (EMTCT) program at Alive Medical Services.
When the couple discovered they were having a baby, at first, they were afraid but thanks to the Antenatal Care and Elimination of Mother to Child transmission of HIV program at Alive Medical Services, the two were assured of the possibility of having a healthy child.
“Right from my first Antenatal Care visit to this day, Alive has never turned us away for any reason,” says Rose. “We have been here for about 5 years and each time we come, we have all what we need and we continue to trust them with our health including this bundle of joy we created.”
The baby is currently enrolled in the EMTCT program to ensure that they raise a safe and healthy baby. “This is our second visit as new parents, but we were told the first test that was done at 6 weeks is negative, which makes me even trust them more,” says Rose
One of AMS’ core values is Client Focus, which means that the facility aims to focus and prioritize the needs of its clientele. Alive Medical Services has not registered any HIV-positive baby born by a mother under their care.

The couple’s families are supportive, they didn’t turn on them because of their status and their decision to start a family. Michael and Rose have grown to become a proud family who keep reminding one another of their medical appointments and support each other in taking their medication every day.
As Rose says, “Michael’s family is amazingly supportive and they help us take care of ourselves, and our child. Together we live positively with HIV and it will stop with us.”

Fiona made a stand that HIV ends with her and was bold enough to disclose her HIV status to her long-term partner who is HIV negative. The couple has maintained their well-being and are raising their children under the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission (EMTCT) program at Alive Medical Services. It is uncommon to discover HIV-negative men who stand by and support their HIV-positive partners, but many women will continue to live with their HIV-positive partners. Disclosure sometimes results in violence and occasionally ends in divorce.

In 2012, *Fiona, now 35, discovered she had HIV during her final antenatal appointment for her first pregnancy. The news left her devastated and in denial.

“I was 36 weeks pregnant and didn’t want to ruin the mood of becoming a first-time mother which made me ignore the importance of medication, especially during that time.”
Since Fiona was a first-time mother, she assumed that her frequent bouts of sickness while nursing were a sign of postpartum depression.

“When I went to the clinic to test, I told the doctor to test for anything since I couldn’t explain the pain, they decided to first do an HIV test. The test came out positive, which I already knew.”
The doctor asked Fiona where she obtained her medication. Fiona stared at the doctor, unconcerned, and told him she already knew her condition but wasn't taking any medication.

At Alive Medical Services, Fiona was advised to cease breastfeeding to protect her child because of how high her viral load had become. Unfortunately, Fiona lost her child and fell into a deep sadness and almost gave up on life and love.
With the help of Alive Medical Services and the facility's Assisted Partner Notification (APN) program, Fiona was able to find love again while receiving care. The counsellors helped her learn more about her condition.

“I am still shocked up to this day that my spouse chose to love me. He doesn’t look at me in judgment to my past; he is supportive, loving, and exceptional. The best thing I will give to him is a happy and healthy family. He met me while I was in a lot of sorrow and sadness; you can’t be diagnosed with HIV and lose a baby at the same time and remain normal. We have had all the counselling sessions together and we are adhering to them as he is taking PrEP because I want him to stay negative!”
The love of her husband was Fiona’s strength, and it quickly washed away the sadness in her heart. This love allows the two to continue to live together harmoniously.

“Last year, we received the exciting news that we were going to have a baby. It didn’t matter to us whether it was a girl or boy; the thing was that it was going to be a baby and I was ready to do the right thing this time. I took it as a second chance because I was getting older as well. Our little one is here and Alive Medical Services is here with us to make things right.”
Fiona lauds Alive Medical Services for bringing the EMTCT program to her vulnerable community because it has enabled women like her to give birth to children who are free from HIV.

The various forms of support provided by friends, donors, and well-wishers provide Fiona and other women living with HIV with free comprehensive care, treatment, and other supportive HIV services. Since supporting the EMTCT program in 2013, Alive Medical Services has not recorded any HIV-positive births from women receiving care. We never stop celebrating the EMTCT program's accomplishments.

KNOWING MY MOTHERS HIV STATUS SAVED MY LIFE AND MY BABY IS FREE FROM HIV

“Maybe if that day my mother never got ill and didn’t get us worried to the point that she needed professional medical attention; I would be dead.” *Claire’s story

24-year-old Claire and a mother of one was diagnosed with HIV while at the hospital next to her mother’s death bed while attending to her. Claire tested positive for HIV and is currently on medication. Prior to her diagnosis, Claire never presented any signs; however, her mother was sick for a while and she was taken to the hospital for professional help. Several tests were done on her mother, and she was discovered to have been infected by HIV.

“That is how nicely the nurses advised me to test. I was about 13 and I knew what AIDS was.”

Claire was tested, and her result was positive. “I felt a lot of panic, not remembering when I was engaged with a man, (that’s what we were told in school).” Claire was sat down and explained to by the health workers of the possibility that she contracted the virus from her mother.
“I was so confused because I didn’t have any signs on my body, neither did I feel sick. The doctors didn’t want to take a 13-year-old into that science. However, they advised us to start medication and referred us to a clinic they knew, Alive Medical Services it was!”

She was started on Septrin to prevent opportunistic infections as she didn’t qualify to start ART at that time. Unfortunately, Claire’s mother died three months later, and she started staying with her aunt.
“I knew I was still young, but I requested my aunt to talk for me to start medication immediately, after all I was still going to take it even if I took years. All I thought about was death and I didn’t want to die.”
Claire has since been on ART for 10 years now, she is a mother of one and in a discordant healthy relationship.
“Thanks to the Alive Medical Services system, I am counselled every time I come, my child is healthy, just look at this little thing. My partner is healthy and supportive, he is faithfully taking PrEP and he has no problem about it. They have helped me have a healthy family. Thank you, Alive Medical Services, for all your work, your regular testing that keeps us alive indeed.”

Alive Medical Services offers comprehensive care, treatment and support to HIV positive patients in the community and works across Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono districts, to create a world in which families can live free from HIV infection. Just like Claire who was affected by HIV and AIDS can live positively, and productively in society.

27-year-old Faridah was born HIV-positive, and her dream is to reduce the spread of HIV in her family.

“I’ve been taking medications my entire life. At first I used to take two pills a day but now I take once a day,” says Faridah.
Growing up Faridah lost her mother at the age of 5 which made her go through a rebellious stage as a young child where she used to refuse to take her medications. Faridah used to lie to her maternal aunt that she was taking the medicine, yet she would find ways of keeping it under her tongue and throwing it away, this is because she didn’t know why she was taking the medication.
“I was just told I have sirimu (which means AIDS in our local language); however, I didn’t know how people contracted it, my aunt just said I will heal if I take this medication as she instructed me, and I was told I would be okay. She sometimes told me that I will have big buttocks in the name of convincing me to take the medicine and told me all sorts of components in it. The fact that I didn’t have body pains anywhere and I wasn’t growing fat either, I thought I had healed a long time ago which made me throw away the medication.”

Following the loss of her mother, her aunt looked after her and made sure she was taking her medication; however, she has always been challenged with the costs especially the transportation of her medication. Her aunt who got an opportunity for Faridah to study registered her under an organization that looks after orphans. This was not a worry for them regarding her education. Because knowing the child’s HIV status was a mandate by the organization, Faridah's aunt disclosed it to them but shared that Faridah wasn't aware of her status. Faridah was then taken to Alive Medical Services in 2010 where she was professionally disclosed to.

“When I was told the meaning of sirimu, I didn't know how to react, I wondered if I was supposed to cry, feel sad, be angry, I had no emotion at all because I was told I will be okay from the time I was 5, I trusted all those words.”
While studying, Faridah got pregnant with her first child in 2016 which forced the organization to return her to her aunt. “My aunt was disappointed about the turn I had taken but she assured me that I was going to have a healthy HIV negative baby.”
“On coming to Alive Medical Services, this time I was coming for just my refill but also, I had come for antenatal services. The nurses to my surprise were not judgemental, I was just 21 and pretty ashamed of my pregnancy but they handled me with dignity.” Says Faridah.

Today Faridah is happy to share that she has had two amazing children who are HIV-negative. She also reports that the father of her children is doing well. The two are raising their children in harmony thanks to the services offered by Alive Medical Services.
“I know I haven’t been the best client at this facility, but they have had time for me and my family.”
Increasing the number of pregnant women on life-saving HIV treatment, helps mothers live longer, healthier lives and helps eliminate new infections among children. Since 2013, Alive Medical Services has not registered any HIV-positive babies from mothers under their care thanks to donors, funders, and well-wishers that have made it possible to avail of the necessary services HIV-positive pregnant mothers need.

Rebecca is a 33-year-old HIV-positive woman but because of elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV services at Alive Medical Services, she is a mother of two HIV-negative children.

Rebecca’s parents were unable to pay her school fees while she was still in secondary school, forcing her to rely on her boyfriend, who was willing to pay her school fees on the condition that she marries him. He died after a few years and Rebecca was devastated. She had no idea what had caused this tragedy and assumed it was a normal illness. She resumed her normal life, fell in love again, and became pregnant. When she went to the health centre for a pregnancy test, she also did an HIV test and learned for the first time that she was HIV positive.

"It was difficult for me to accept the news of my HIV status, and I also realized it had to do with my first marriage. But the doctors comforted me and convinced me that I still had a chance at life. They restored my hope, and I was given a referral to Alive Medical Services to begin ART immediately. The health workers at Alive Medical Services were incredible, and they taught me how to protect my baby from HIV, which is when I began taking ARV medication. They assisted me in disclosing to my husband, who accepted me, and we are still living together to this day." narrates Rebecca.

Rebecca's eldest child with her second husband grew up healthy and HIV-negative, and he is now 5 years old. They decided to have another child when their first child was 4 years old. After the second child was born, they continued to visit the health centre for tests and follow-up visits; at the age of 18 months, the child, like their father, is HIV negative.

"Having an HIV-negative family has given me a lot of power since my first husband died from HIV." It has also assisted me in staying healthy and caring for myself and my family, which is why I am still alive today. That is why I am grateful to Alive Medical Services and everyone who donates money to help us get the medication and other care we require. I had no hope at first, but now I realize that medication can help me stay alive and healthy." says Rebecca.

If elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV services is not provided, pregnant women with HIV, have a high chance of transmitting the virus to their babies during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding. Alive Medical Services, prioritizes working to eliminate new HIV infections among children through the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission (EMTCT) initiative.