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Observational Study
. 2015 Sep 1;70(1):99-103.
doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000000692.

Brief Report: Impact of Option B+ on the Infant PMTCT Cascade in Lilongwe, Malawi

Maria H Kim  1 , Saeed Ahmed, Mina C Hosseinipour, Xiaoying Yu, Chi Nguyen, Frank Chimbwandira, Mary E Paul, Peter N Kazembe, Elaine J Abrams
Affiliations
Observational Study

Brief Report: Impact of Option B+ on the Infant PMTCT Cascade in Lilongwe, Malawi

Maria H Kim et al. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. .

Abstract

This observational study compared uptake of infant prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services pre/post implementation of Option B+ in Lilongwe, Malawi. There were 845 (pre) and 998 (post) births. Post-B+, infants had longer median predelivery maternal antiretroviral therapy {62 days [interquartile range (IQR): 38-94] pre-B+ vs. 95 days [IQR: 61-131] post-B+; P < 0.0001} and improved polymerase chain reaction testing (82.0% vs. 86.5%; P = 0.01) at younger median age [7.6 weeks (IQR: 6.6-10.9) vs. 6.9 (IQR: 6.4-8.1); P < 0.0001]. Proportion testing polymerase chain reaction positive decreased (4.6% vs. 2.6%; P = 0.03). Proportion of HIV-infected infants starting antiretroviral therapy (75% vs. 77.3%) and age at initiation [19.7 weeks (IQR: 15.4-31.1) vs. 16 (IQR: 13.3-17.9)] remained unchanged. These findings suggest modest improvements in infant care with Option B+.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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