Background

Given the ambitious targets to reduce pediatric AIDS worldwide, ongoing assessment of programs to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) is critical. The concept of a “PMTCT cascade” has been used widely to identify bottlenecks in program implementation; however, most efforts to reconstruct the cascade have relied on facility-based approaches that may limit external validity.

Methods

We analyzed data from the PEARL household survey, which measured PMTCT effectiveness in 26 communities across Zambia, South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire, and Cameroon. We recruited women who reported a delivery in the past two years. Among mothers confirmed to be HIV-infected at the time of survey, we reconstructed the PMTCT cascade with self-reported participant information. We also analyzed data about the child’s vital status; for those still alive, HIV testing was performed via DNA PCR.

Results

Of the 976 eligible women, only 355 (36%) completed every step of the PMTCT cascade. Among the 621 mother-child pairs who did not, 22 (4%) reported never seeking antenatal care, 103 (17%) were not tested for HIV during pregnancy, 395 (64%) reported testing but never received their HIV-positive result, 48 (8%) did not receive maternal antiretroviral prophylaxis, and 53 (9%) did not receive infant antiretroviral prophylaxis. The lowest prevalence of infant HIV infection or death was observed in those completing the cascade (10%, 95%CI: 7%–12%).

Conclusions

Future efforts to measure population PMTCT impact should incorporate dimensions explored in the PEARL Study – including HIV testing of HIV-exposed children in household surveys – to better understand program effectiveness.