Abstract:

Background: more than 90% of children with Human Immunodefiency Virus (HIV) acquired the infection as a result of mother to child transmission (MTCT) during pregnancy, labour and delivery, or breastfeeding. Without interventions, there is a 40% chance that a baby born to a HIV infected mother will become infected. However the risk of MTCY can reduced up to 2% with effective and feasible interventions to reduce MTCT OF HIV. MTCT of HIV has a dramatic deleterious impact on child survival and therefore prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) is of crucial importance.

Objective: this study was done in order to determine the level of knowledge on transmission and prevention of MTCT among women attending Makongoro reproductive and child health (RCH) clinic, Mwanza.

Methodology: this cross sectional study was conducted from March 2014 to May 2014. Structured questionnaire were admistered to all women with children who attended RCH Clinic whereby data was collected on their demographic characteristics, modes of MTCT, awareness of of PMTCT, availability of PMTCT services and HIV testing. Collected data was entered in epi- data was entered in epi- data and then summarized using SPSS version 17.0, for windows and thereafter analyzed. Frequency distribution and two way tables were used to summarize the data.

Results: of the 330 women, age ranged from 26 to 39 years with the mean age 0f 26.08(+/-5.439SD). One hundred and thirty seven women (41.5%) had primary education compared to 86(26.1%) who did not have any formal education. Among women who have interviewed, 261.women (79.1%) were aware that HIV can be transmitted from mother to child and 206 women (62.4%) knew ways of MTCT. Additionally, 78 (23.6%) reported that HIV can be transmitted from mother to child mostly through breastfeeding compared to 120(36.4%) who did not remember. A total of 186 women (56.4%) knew about PMTCT of HIV. Among those who knows ways of PMTCT 63( 33.8%) and 44(23.6) reported the use of antiretroviral ARVs and breast milk substitute respectively as effective ways of PMTCT Services at the facility was reported by 196(59.4%) women and those who were tested for HIV in PMTCT services were 290( 87. 9%).

Conclusion: mothers with children attending Makongoro RCH clinic are aware and have basic knowledge of MTCT and PMTCT of HIV with minimal awareness on the availability of PMTCT services at this clinic. Women at this clinic are aware on use of ARVs as the main PMTCT Intervention. Since there are still knowledge gaps on different but important aspects of PMTCT, there is a need for adequate counselling session during and after pregnancy in order to raise awareness on PMTCT services.