Infant feeding counseling in programmes to prevent mother to child transmission of hiv (PMTCT) in Nairobi, Kenya
Abstract
Background: Infant feeding in the context of HlV poses complex challenges to PMTCT
programsin Sub-Saharan Africa. A 2003 report of the evaluation of UNICEF supported pilot sites
singledout infant feeding counseling as the most challenging component ofPMTCT program
intervention(Rutenberg 2003). The challenge of infant feeding is attributable to two main facts; that
breastfeeding,especially for the first six months, is critical for child survival (WHO 1989) and that
breast-feedingaccounts for approximately 44% ofthe MTCT oflllV (Nduati 2000). In the past two
decades,various global initiatives and policies have promoted breastfeeding as a basic tenet for child
survival. With the advent of the HfV pandemic however, the need to promote appropriate infant
feedingpractices that minimize MTCT of'HfV has also become paramount, especially in the SubSaharanAfrica
(SSA) region that bears 90% of the global paediatric Hl'V burden.
Citation
Masters in Public HealthSponsorhip
University of NairobiPublisher
Department of Medicine, University of Nairobi
Description
Masters in Pulic Health