An estimated 90% of HIV positive pregnant women in the Western Cape will have been reached by early next year by which time a further nine sites would have rolled out the mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) programme using nevirapine.

Dr Fareed Abdullah, deputy director-general in the province’€™s health department said the further roll-out for the MTCT programme had been given impetus by the decision of the Cape Town Unicity to provide additional funds for the programme.

These additional Unicity funds also applied to sites that have already implemented MTCT ‘€“ Khayelitsha (where AZT is dispensed), Gugulethu and Vanguard.

All additional expenditure relating to local authority clinics in the metro region would be met from the Unicity funds including additional nursing personnel, six month supply of Pellargon (formula milk), Bactrim (PCP prophylaxis) and rapid test kits.

Province would meet costs relating to the recruitment, training and employment of lay counsellors and other staff at child health clinics.

All expenditure relating to provincial facilities in the metro region were to be funded from the provincial budget including voluntary counselling and testing, rapid test kids, costs of nevirapine (AZT at Khayelitsha), two tins of Pellargon supplied to mothers when they are discharged and additional staff as required.

The Western Cape health department commenced its first MTCT programme in Khayelitsha in January 1999. After two and a half years, more than 16 000 pregnant women have attended antenatal clinics here. Seventy two percent have accepted HIV testing (and counselling) and those testing positive (18,5%) were offered treatment for shortcourse AZT commencing at 34 weeks gestation. More than 2 000 women have been treated.

This year the MTCT programme using nevirapine, was implemented at Gugulethu, Vanguard, TC Newman Community Health Centre and Paarl Hospital, George district (13 antenatal clinics), George Hospital and Worcester (2 antenatal clinics).

“Our MTCT programme now reaches an estimated 50% of all HIV positive pregnant women within the province,” Abdullah said.

The programme will now be expanded to False Bay Hospital by September, Retreat and Macassar maternity clinics (plus 7 antenatal clinics) by October, Kraaifontein and Karl Bremmer maternity facilities by November and Stellenbosch Hospital Plettenberg Bay. The programme will reach Grabouw and Hermanus Hospital by January next year.

Abdullah said several hospitals had been tasked to handle any MTCT referrals from the clinics. These include Karl Bremmer, Mowbray Maternity, Hottentots Holland, Somerset, Paarl, Eben Donges, George, Groote Schuur and Tygerberg.

Two MTCT sites, Paarl and Gugulethu, will receive the nevirapine supplies from the national Department of Health as they are part of the national pilot programme.

“The intention is to reach 100% coverage for the MTCT programme during the course of the 2002/3 financial year,” Abdullah said, adding that the final roll-out will start in April 2002 at Mitchells Plain and Mowbray.