Time to get wonky: Learn about Option B+, an anti-HIV ‘treatment for life’
What have prevention of mother-to-child (PMTCT) efforts to-date in Malawi looked like, and how has the introduction of Option B+ changed that picture?
Until 2011, Malawi had separate PMTCT and adult treatment programs. There were many barriers to scaling up PMTCT, including a lack of access to CD4 counts testing, supply chain challenges, and very limited follow-up for infants exposed to HIV. The Malawi Government’s introduction of Option B+ was a calculated decision designed to improve health outcomes by streamlining, simplifying and integrating health services, thus eliminating many of the barriers to PMTCT.
