UNICEF USA’s Fieldnotes Blog has a great report from a rural health clinic in Zambia– specifically post-natal and prevention of mother-to-child treatment (PMTCT) care.

The whole piece is worth a read. Excerpts below:

Rolina is HIV positive and is enrolled in the clinic’s PMTCT program. She and her husband Terrance married in 2002 and they have three children; Terrance is also HIV positive. Both Rolina and Terrance are doing everything in their power to ensure that little Brenda stays safe and healthy which is not the case for Brenda’s older sister Constance. Constance is 4 years old and HIV positive. Constance is on pediatric treatment which is keeping her strong. Their older brother Clayton does what he can at 7 years old to look after his two younger sisters.

Mother to child transmission (children from HIV positive mothers being infected during pregnancy or delivery) in Zambia is the second most important factor of transmission. PMTCT provides parents with hope but more importantly if the treatment is followed correctly it provides parents with a healthy child.

Terrance and Rolina are leaders in their community. They are open about their status in hopes of making a difference in other people lives. Terrance runs an HIV/AIDS couples support group in Keemba and sees 20-25 couples each week. Rolina adhering to the PMTCT program stopped breastfeeding Brenda at 6 months despite the statement this makes to the community. Mothers who bottle feed their child are questioned and sometimes frowned upon. But Rolina does not get discouraged because she knows that breastfeeding past 6 months increases the risk of her child becoming infected.