Table 1.
PMTCT policies in Tanzania
| Year | Source | Policy content |
|---|---|---|
| 2000-2002 | Pilot PMTCT Program | • Short course regimen for preventing mother-to-child transmission in four referral hospitals and one regional hospital |
| • Use of AZT short course from 36 weeks to delivery | ||
| 2004 | First national PMTCT guidelines for scale up | • Scale up from 5 pilot testing sites to the whole country (1347 sites across the country by 2006) |
| • sdNVP during labor and delivery | ||
| 2007 | Second national PMTCT guidelines for scale up | • Provider initiated testing and counselling in antenatal visits in an “opt out” system |
| • PMTCT remained in parallel to Care and Treatment Centers (CTC), where eligible mothers received care | ||
| • Change of regimen from sdNVP to AZT from 28 weeks of pregnancy until labor and delivery for PMTCT | ||
| 2011 | Third national PMTCT guidelines for scale up | • Tanzania adopts option A of 2010 WHO guidelines (use of ARV drugs for treating pregnant women and preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV) |
| • Engagement with, testing of, and counselling partners at health facilities | ||
| • PMTCT program expanded to 3420 sites in the country | ||
| 2013 | Fourth national PMTCT guidelines Option B/B+ | • All HIV-infected pregnant and lactating mothers, regardless of CD4 count, eligible for lifelong treatment with antiretroviral drugs |
| • Care and treatment integrated into RCH wards |