Publications by authors named "Alcino Furtado"
Article Synopsis
- HIV remains a significant health issue for mothers in Sub-Saharan Africa, with preventive measures like PMTCT being critical in reducing pediatric infections and ensuring mothers receive necessary treatment.
- Study findings from 24,107 women at Guinea-Bissau's Simão Mendes National Hospital showed a decline in HIV prevalence, but issues like decreased ART coverage during labor led to 22% of infants not receiving treatment.
- The research reveals a connection between maternal HIV and low birth weight but not stillbirth, highlighting gaps in continuous care and treatment that hinder effective PMTCT efforts.
Background: Decisions about when to start an antiretroviral therapy (ART) are normally based on CD4 cell counts and viral load (VL). However, these measurements require equipment beyond the capacity of most laboratories in low-income and middle-income settings. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify and test simple markers to guide the optimal time for starting and for monitoring the effect of ART in developing countries.
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