Women living with HIV tipped on safe delivery

Health experts have urged expectant mothers living with HIV/Aids in Mbarara District to stop delivering from traditional birth attendants if they are to safeguard their children from acquiring the disease.

Speaking during a media engagement at Holy Innocents Children’s Hospital in Mbarara City on Tuesday, several medical experts, who included paediatricians, said for fear of stigma, many expectant mothers living with HIV do not go for antenatal care in health facilities.

Dr Mike Kyewalyanga, a paediatrician at Holy Innocents Children’s Hospital, said such mothers are exposing their newborns to HIV/Aids.

“The chances of children getting infected from their mothers are low when they visit hospitals for delivery. In every 100,000 expectant mothers who are HIV positive, 466 children are still getting infected with HIV,” he said.

He added: “Because they are told that when they deliver from traditional birth attendants, they will deliver safely.”

Dr Kyewalyanga explained they are researching different ways of eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV/Aids.

“In early infant diagnosis, children below 18 months are tested to eliminate the transmission and here, we want to ensure what type of medicine can work effectively for them and also to advise on which time they should take their medication,” he said.

Mr Fredrick Kamugisha, the Mbarara District health educator, said the prevalence rate in the area shows that females are more infected with HIV compared to their male counterparts.

 “The prevalence rate for HIV in Mbarara District is at 4.1 percent equalling 7,000 people,” he said.

“We recommend support systems from health facilities, homes and communities to give guidance on how they should come out to advise breastfeeding mothers who are HIV positive on what to do when they are pregnant,” he added.

 Ms Catherine Akunda, a breastfeeding mother, said she tested positive for HIV/Aids in 2018, which was a turning point in her life.

She struggled to start medication because she wanted to keep it a secret from the public and her family. But she later opened up to her mother.

 Ms Akunda kept taking her medication as prescribed by health workers.

In 2022, she said she found a boyfriend and told him about her status. “He did not leave me but supported me. He agreed to marry me and introduced me to his family,” she added.

Ms Ankunda said during pregnancy, her husband supported her and they always visited Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital for medication and guidance on how to take care of herself and her unborn child.

 “My child is now one year old and is not infected with HIV,” she said.