Abstract:
Background: In 2013, Tanzania adopted the provision of lifelong antiretroviral therapy (Option B+) to HIV positive pregnant women, throughout the pregnancy and breastfeeding period and continues taking ART for the rest of their lives. However, in 2014, about 38.5% women were lost in adhering to PMTCT option B+ services at national level. More specially, in Ilala municipality, data from district health information system (DHIS2) shows that the rate of lost to follow up on PMTCT option B+ ranges from 36 to 49 percent, which has resulted into high transmission of HIV infection from mother to child. Against this observation a study was initiated to find out the relationship between knowledge and adherence to PMTCT option B+ services.
Objectives: The study was undertaken to assess the quality of knowledge and adherence visit to PMTCT option B+ services among HIV positive pregnant women in selected health centers and hospitals in Ilala Municipality. Specifically it focused on determining quality of knowledge delivered to HIV pregnant women during counseling for PMTCT option B+ services in Ilala Municipality, to determine level of knowledge on services among the HIV positive women, to determine adherence visits to PMTCT option B+ services and to explore socio cultural beliefs affecting adherence to visits to PMTCT option B+ services.
Methodology: A cross sectional study design. The sample of the study was 383 respondents composed of 378 HIV pregnant women and 6 HCPs. The sample was selected purposively. Data collection was done through questionnaire, interview and documentary reviews. Data analysis was done through SPSS and the findings were presented in the form of frequency tables and percentages.
Results: The findings indicated that, 90.8% of the respondents were well informed in area of PMTCT Option B+ services and other related sexually transmitted diseases. The quality of knowledge on PMTCT Option B+ services among HIV positive pregnant women was also very satisfactory 79.9%. On the adherence to PMTCT Option B+ services, 77.7% of the HIV pregnant women were adhering to PMTCT Option B+ service provision. Counseling services adhering to PMTCT Option B+ services contributed by 93.3%, and was well provided, cutting across various PMTCT and HIV/AIDS issues.
Conclusion: The study concluded that, the possibility of having a healthy child born free of HIV constitutes a strong motivator for attending PMTCT services. Various recommendation were made to address the discrepancies demonstrated in the study in terms of inadequacy of the knowledge, counselling skills, adressing both human resources and health facilities’ contuining decentralizing the services so as to be easly accessible to the clients.
Recommendations: The researchers recommends decentralization of PMTCT services to the lower health facilities and increase the number of qualified health care providers providing PMTCT Option B+ services so as to improve services. It is also recommended that the same study in other municipalities and councils on PMTCT Option B+ services to be done in order to get a more representative picture of the problem investigated.
