FHI Leads the Effort Toward HIV-free Newborns in Burundi

AUGUST 2009 — In Burundi, services that prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) started in September 2000 as a pilot project. Family Health International is spearheading the expansion of these services in this country of 8 million, thanks to the USAID-funded ROADS Project, which is working to reduce HIV transmission, improve care, and reduce the impact of HIV and AIDS in nine East African countries that share major transport corridors.

Under Roads I in 2006, PMTCT services were introduced in 14 health facilities in Burundi. As of May 2009, 63 of the 104 health facilities in the country that offer PMTCT services have been assisted to do so by FHI. These 63 facilities are located in Bujumbura, Kayanza, Kirundo, and Muyinga provinces.

Working within the framework established by the Government of Burundi, the FHI/ROADS program is facilitating the integration of PMTCT into routine antenatal and maternal care as well as into child care services.

FHI provides training and mentoring for healthcare staff and works to ensure the availability of additional staff where needed. FHI support also includes refurbishment for health facilities and new equipment needed to deliver PMTCT services, the reinforcement of health management information systems, and concerted efforts to ensure that effective referral systems are operating within health facilities and in communities.

During a recent visit to Burundi, FHI/Arlington's PMTCT Technical Advisor Justin Mandala, MD, noted that FHI has established an excellent reputation among national stakeholders involved in PMTCT and said he witnessed the strong collaboration between FHI and most partners.

"I met with partners within the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, WHO, and NGOs involved in PMTCT who are eager to learn from experiences in FHI-supported sites," said Dr. Mandala. He added that their questions included how best to increase HIV-testing capacity and how best to triage HIV-positive pregnant women in need of lifelong antiretroviral treatment. Dr. Mandala said that the FHI experience can help to answer these questions.

PMTCT Focal Person Bède Matituye, MD, emphasized: "We want to keep on improving the quality of PMTCT services offered. As we are expanding coverage, we are also exploring ways to implement specific approaches that will lead us to the systematic offer of a more efficacious antiretroviral drug."

"Our main motivation is our contribution toward elimination of pediatric HIV infection in Burundi" added FHI Country Director Martin Ngabonziza, MD. "Thanks to the strong collaboration between the Government of Burundi, USAID, and FHI, every year over 32,000 pregnant women are offered PMTCT services."

PHOTOS: (Top) Women wait for maternal services at a newly refurbished clinic (bottom) in Kirondo, Burundi. (Justin Mandala/FHI)

— Justin Mandala