Original Research

Mapping evidence of interventions and strategies to bridge the gap in the implementation of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV programme policy in sub-Saharan countries: A scoping review

Wilbroda H. Ngidi, Joanne R. Naidoo, Busisiwe P. Ncama, Zamasomi P.B. Luvuno, Tivani P. Mashamba-Thompson
African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine | Vol 9, No 1 | a1368 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v9i1.1368 | © 2017 Wilbroda H. Ngidi, Joanne R. Naidoo, Busisiwe P. Ncama, Zamasomi P.B. Luvuno, Tivani P. Mashamba-Thompson | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 27 October 2016 | Published: 29 May 2017

About the author(s)

Wilbroda H. Ngidi, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Joanne R. Naidoo, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Busisiwe P. Ncama, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Zamasomi P.B. Luvuno, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Tivani P. Mashamba-Thompson, Discipline of Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

Background: Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV is a life-saving public health intervention. Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries have made significant progress in the programme, but little is known about the strategies used by them to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Aim: To map evidence of strategies and interventions employed by SSA in bridging the implementation gap in the rapidly changing PMTCT of HIV programme policy.
Methods: Electronic search of the databases MEDLINE, PubMed and SABINET for articles published in English between 2001 and August 2016. Key words included ‘Sub-Saharan African countries’, ‘implementation strategies’, ‘interventions to bridge implementation gap’, ‘prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV’ and ‘closing implementation gap’.
Results: Of a total of 743 articles, 25 articles that met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Manual content analysis resulted in the identification of three categories of strategies: (1) health system (referral systems, integration of services, supportive leadership, systematic quality-improvement approaches that vigorously monitors programme performance); (2) health service delivery (task shifting, networking, shared platform for learning, local capacity building, supportive supervision); as well as (3) community-level strategies (community health workers, technology use – mHealth, family-centred approaches, male involvement, culturally appropriate interventions).
Conclusion: There are strategies that exist in SSA countries. Future research should examine multifaceted scientific models to prioritise the highest impact and be evaluated for effectiveness and efficiency.

Keywords

Scoping review; Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV; strategies; interventions; Sub Saharan countries

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