Table 2.

Summary of health provider reported challenges and strategies to address barriers to the delivery of PMTCT services

Theme	Challenges to PMTCT delivery	Strategies for addressing barriers
Health systems challenges	Lack of resources—medication shortage, supply shortage, lack of resources including gloves, delivery apparatus, gloves and electricity. Workforce challenge—delay in wages, lack of professional development opportunities and limited upward mobility.	Ensure the availability of necessary equipment, tools and medication. Increase in wages, expansion of professional development and training opportunities to all staff.
Patient-related challenges	‘Loss to follow-up’—Inability to reach patients/incorrect contact information. Stigmatisation experienced from extended family members and related violence, abandonment and neglect. HIV misinformation and discordant health beliefs about the origin and treatment of HIV.	Improving medical records notation of those living with HIV. Continued community education, efforts to promote couples counselling/testing and home-based care and designation of HIV health educators from each neighbourhood. Implementation of a peer-to-peer model, paring health facility staff with spiritual leaders and traditional birth attendants.

PMTCT, prevention of mother-to-child transmission.