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Evaluation Of The Impact Of A Mobile Health System On Adherence To Antenatal And Postnatal Care And Prevention Of Mother To Child Transmission Of Hiv Programs In Kenya
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Book Synopsis Evaluation of the Impact of a Mobile Health System on Adherence to Antenatal and Postnatal Care and Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Programs in Kenya by :
Download or read book Evaluation of the Impact of a Mobile Health System on Adherence to Antenatal and Postnatal Care and Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Programs in Kenya written by and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Book Synopsis Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (Volume 2) by : Robert Black
Download or read book Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (Volume 2) written by Robert Black and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2016-04-11 with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The evaluation of reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) by the Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (DCP3) focuses on maternal conditions, childhood illness, and malnutrition. Specifically, the chapters address acute illness and undernutrition in children, principally under age 5. It also covers maternal mortality, morbidity, stillbirth, and influences to pregnancy and pre-pregnancy. Volume 3 focuses on developments since the publication of DCP2 and will also include the transition to older childhood, in particular, the overlap and commonality with the child development volume. The DCP3 evaluation of these conditions produced three key findings: 1. There is significant difficulty in measuring the burden of key conditions such as unintended pregnancy, unsafe abortion, nonsexually transmitted infections, infertility, and violence against women. 2. Investments in the continuum of care can have significant returns for improved and equitable access, health, poverty, and health systems. 3. There is a large difference in how RMNCH conditions affect different income groups; investments in RMNCH can lessen the disparity in terms of both health and financial risk.
Book Synopsis Global Health Informatics by : Leo Anthony G. Celi
Download or read book Global Health Informatics written by Leo Anthony G. Celi and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2017-04-14 with total page 465 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Key concepts, frameworks, examples, and lessons learned in designing and implementing health information and communication technology systems in the developing world. The widespread usage of mobile phones that bring computational power and data to our fingertips has enabled new models for tracking and battling disease. The developing world in particular has become a proving ground for innovation in eHealth (using communication and technology tools in healthcare) and mHealth (using the affordances of mobile technology in eHealth systems). In this book, experts from a variety of disciplines—among them computer science, medicine, public health, policy, and business—discuss key concepts, frameworks, examples, and lessons learned in designing and implementing digital health systems in the developing world. The contributors consider such topics as global health disparities and quality of care; aligning eHealth strategies with government policy; the role of monitoring and evaluation in improving care; databases, patient registries, and electronic health records; the lifecycle of a digital health system project; software project management; privacy and security; and evaluating health technology systems.
Book Synopsis Perceptions of SMS Content for Pregnant and Postpartum Kenyan Women Infected with HIV by : Jade M. Fairbanks
Download or read book Perceptions of SMS Content for Pregnant and Postpartum Kenyan Women Infected with HIV written by Jade M. Fairbanks and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Background: Efficacy of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) depends largely on treatment adherence, which has been a critical issue among pregnant women in Kenya. Mobile health technologies (mHealth) have been proposed as one approach that may help individuals optimize treatment adherence. Previous studies have shown the efficacy of Short Messaging Services (SMS) to improve ART adherence, but very few studies have looked at the impact of SMS on ART adherence within the context of Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT). Objective: This qualitative study explores women's preferences for SMS content related to engagement in HIV care, and maternal and child health (MCH), during and after pregnancy. Methods: Ten focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with HIV infected pregnant women seeking antenatal care services, or HIV positive postpartum women who had an uninfected child
Book Synopsis Disclosure Within HIV-Affected Families by : Grace Gachanja
Download or read book Disclosure Within HIV-Affected Families written by Grace Gachanja and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2018-08-29 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While HIV/AIDS is a global public heath challenge, its impact is arguably greatest in the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where new infections account for approximately 66% of the total number of HIV-positive persons globally. In SSA, medical, social, and economic resources are limited, thus necessitating innovative approaches to disease prevention. One of the mechanisms of prevention that is most promising occurs through HIV disclosure to family members (e.g., adult sexual partners) generally, and to children in particular. Our emphasis in this eBook is on HIV disclosure to children because it has multiple benefits, including improved adherence to antiretroviral medication treatment and understanding at an early age of the impact of sexual activity on the spread of HIV. While there is a noticeable gap in research on HIV disclosure to younger children, some of the general reasons for non-disclosure include concerns about fear of adult partners leaving relationships, and that children are too young to comprehend the severity of the situation and may tell others outside the family. Thus, it is critical to better understand how the HIV disclosure process happens (or does not happen) within HIV-affected families, as well as the best practices on how to disclose. In this eBook, we present a combination of empirical research studies and critical literature reviews that investigate the reasons for and for not disclosing HIV status within HIV-affected families and provide evidence-based practices that could be adopted by healthcare professionals to help HIV-positive parents facilitate disclosure activities within these families. This information can also be used by researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders who are in a position to influence policies on effective HIV disclosure practices, guidelines, and programs.
Book Synopsis Evaluation of Utilisation of the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Programme in Central Province, Kenya by : Catherine Njeri Ngugi
Download or read book Evaluation of Utilisation of the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Programme in Central Province, Kenya written by Catherine Njeri Ngugi and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Background: The PMTCT HIV programme has been one of the most successful HIV preventive interventions towards HIV-free future generations. However, even though the programme is virtually effective in developed countries, many developing countries are reporting child HIV infections due to the MTCT. The programme has existed in Kenya for more than a decade, yet in 2011, 12,894children were HIV infected due to MTCT Objective: To evaluate the PMTCT programme, especially the HIV testing from the antenatal period to the postnatal period among expectant parents attending Nyeri Provincial General Hospital in Central Province, Kenya. Design: Retrospective analysis of the hospital registers. Methods: Three hospital registers were analysed for the period from July 2009 to September 2012. The registers were for antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care respectively. Each register documented the utilisation of PMTCT services by the expectant parents. Descriptive and inferential statistics were produced to analyse data from the registers. Results: The PMTCT services utilisation was sub-optimal. Of the 504 expectant mothers who attended the antenatal clinic, 59.9% came once, 80.4% had their first visit in the third trimester (between weeks 28 and 40) and only 6.9% were accompanied by their partners. All the women were HIV tested in their first visit but only 12.1% were rescreened after three months, and only 3.8% had been tested prior to the current pregnancy (p=0.000). No expectant mother was tested for HIV intrapartum or postpartum. The children of the 504 mothers who were HIV tested were those whose parent/s were known to be HIV positive or who had presented to a child welfare clinic with recurring symptoms suggestive of a failing immune system. Conclusion: Public health programs need to strengthen the PMTCT and HIV prevention programmes to ensure that HIV testing preconception and in pregnancy is fully implemented and strengthened, alongside continued education of the public through community programmes and the media. To avert further horizontal and vertical transmission of HIV, there is a need to address urgently the identified missed opportunities in the PMTCT program. These programmatic challenges require health system redesign and strengthening, resource allocation, addressing research gaps and reassessing the current PMTCT policies.
Book Synopsis Revolutionizing Tropical Medicine by : Kerry Atkinson
Download or read book Revolutionizing Tropical Medicine written by Kerry Atkinson and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2019-05-23 with total page 768 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive resource describing innovative technologies and digital health tools that can revolutionize the delivery of health care in low- to middle-income countries, particularly in remote rural impoverished communities Revolutionizing Tropical Medicine offers an up-to-date guide for healthcare and other professionals working in low-resource countries where access to health care facilities for diagnosis and treatment is challenging. Rather than suggesting the expensive solution of building new bricks and mortar clinics and hospitals and increasing the number of doctors and nurses in these deprived areas, the authors propose a complete change of mindset. They outline a number of ideas for improving healthcare including rapid diagnostic testing for infectious and non-infectious diseases at a point-of-care facility, together with low cost portable imaging devices. In addition, the authors recommend a change in the way in which health care is delivered. This approach requires task-shifting within the healthcare provision system so that nurses, laboratory technicians, pharmacists and others are trained in the newly available technologies, thus enabling faster and more appropriate triage for people requiring medical treatment. This text: Describes the current burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases in low- to middle-income countries throughout the world Describes the major advances in healthcare outcomes in low-to middle-income countries derived from implementation of the United Nations/World Health Organisation’s 2000 Millennium Development Goals Provides a review of inexpensive rapid diagnostic point-of-care tests for infectious diseases in low-resource countries, particularly for people living in remote rural areas Provides a review of other rapid point-of-care services for assessing hematological function, biochemical function, renal function, hepatic function and status including hepatitis, acid-base balance, sickle cell disease, severe acute malnutrition and spirometry Explores the use of low-cost portable imaging devices for use in remote rural areas including a novel method of examining the optic fundus using a smartphone and the extensive value of portable ultrasound scanning when x-ray facilities are not available Describes the use of telemedicine in the clinical management of both children and adults in remote rural settings Looks to the future of clinical management in remote impoverished rural settings using nucleic acid identification of pathogens, the use of nanoparticles for water purification, the use of drones, the use of pulse oximetry and the use of near-infrared spectroscopy Finally, it assesses the potential for future healthcare improvement in impoverished areas and how the United Nations/World Health Organization 2015 Sustainable Development Goals are approaching this. Written for physicians, infectious disease specialists, pathologists, radiologists, nurses, pharmacists and other health care workers, as well as government healthcare managers, Revolutionizing Tropical Medicine is a new up-to-date essential and realistic guide to treating and diagnosing patients in low-resource tropical countries based on new technologies.
Book Synopsis Handbook on ICT in Developing Countries by : Knud Erik Skouby
Download or read book Handbook on ICT in Developing Countries written by Knud Erik Skouby and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2022-09-01 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The mobile communications market in developing countries is growing at a rapid rate. This is evident in the rapid spread of mobile broadband cellular networks such as 3G. 4G is also being deployed in developing countries around the world. As the global communications market proceeds towards 5G, it is evident that developing countries will not be left behind. However, there are challenges and barriers on the road ahead specific to developing countries. To aid policy makers, researchers and members of the academia make informed decision that will help the advancement of 5G, this handbook provides an insight into the impact of existing mobile cellular networks in some developing countries. Topics discussed in this handbook include:Digital dividePolicy outlook5G and rural areas5G readinessTelco Business modelsTelecom tower pricingMobile application adoption
Book Synopsis Consolidated Guidelines on the Use of Antiretroviral Drugs for Treating and Preventing HIV Infection by : World Health Organization
Download or read book Consolidated Guidelines on the Use of Antiretroviral Drugs for Treating and Preventing HIV Infection written by World Health Organization and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 429 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These guidelines provide guidance on the diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, the use of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for treating and preventing HIV infection and the care of people living with HIV. They are structured along the continuum of HIV testing, prevention, treatment and care. This edition updates the 2013 consolidated guidelines on the use of antiretroviral drugs following an extensive review of evidence and consultations in mid-2015, shared at the end of 2015, and now published in full in 2016. It is being published in a changing global context for HIV and for health more broadly.
Book Synopsis WHO Recommendations on Antenatal Care for a Positive Pregnancy Experience by : World Health Organization
Download or read book WHO Recommendations on Antenatal Care for a Positive Pregnancy Experience written by World Health Organization and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Within the continuum of reproductive health care, antenatal care provides a platform for important health-care functions, including health promotion, screening and diagnosis, and disease prevention. It has been established that, by implementing timely and appropriate evidence-based practices, antenatal care can save lives. Endorsed by the United Nations Secretary-General, this is a comprehensive WHO guideline on routine antenatal care for pregnant women and adolescent girls. It aims to complement existing WHO guidelines on the management of specific pregnancy-related complications. The guidance captures the complex nature of the antenatal care issues surrounding healthcare practices and delivery, and prioritizes person-centered health and well-being --- not only the prevention of death and morbidity --- in accordance with a human rights-based approach.
Book Synopsis Consolidated Guideline on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Women Living with HIV by : World Health Organization
Download or read book Consolidated Guideline on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Women Living with HIV written by World Health Organization and published by World Health Organization. This book was released on 2017-02-20 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: he starting point for this guideline is the point at which a woman has learnt that she is living with HIV and it therefore covers key issues for providing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights-related services and support for women living with HIV. As women living with HIV face unique challenges and human rights violations related to their sexuality and reproduction within their families and communities as well as from the health-care institutions where they seek care particular emphasis is placed on the creation of an enabling environment to support more effective health interventions and better health outcomes. This guideline is meant to help countries to more effectively and efficiently plan develop and monitor programmes and services that promote gender equality and human rights and hence are more acceptable and appropriate for women living with HIV taking into account the national and local epidemiological context. It discusses implementation issues that health interventions and service delivery must address to achieve gender equality and support human rights.
Book Synopsis Equity, Social Determinants and Public Health Programmes by : World Health Organization
Download or read book Equity, Social Determinants and Public Health Programmes written by World Health Organization and published by World Health Organization. This book was released on 2010 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 1. Introduction and methods of work.-- 2. Alcohol: equity and social determinants.-- 3. Cardiovascular disease: equity and social determinants.-- 4. Health and nutrition of children: equity and social determinants.-- 5. Diabetes: equity and social determinants.-- 6. Food safety: equity and social determinants.-- 7. Mental disorders: equity and social determinants.-- 8. Neglected tropical diseases: equity and social determinants.-- 9. Oral health: equity and social determinants.-- 10. Unintended pregnancy and pregnancy outcome: equity and social determinants.-- 11. Tobacco use: equity and social determinants.-- 12. Tuberculosis: the role of risk factors and social determinants.-- 13. Violence and unintentional injury: equity and social determinants.-- 14. Synergy for equity.
Book Synopsis Global Diffusion of EHealth: Making Universal Health Coverage Achievable by : World Health Organization
Download or read book Global Diffusion of EHealth: Making Universal Health Coverage Achievable written by World Health Organization and published by World Health Organization. This book was released on 2017-03-27 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This third global survey of the WHO Global Observatory for eHealth (GOe) investigated how eHealth can support universal health coverage(UHC) in Member States. A total of 125 countries participated in the survey ? a clear reflection of the growing interest in this area. The report considers eHealth foundations built through policy development funding approaches and capacity building in eHealth through the training of students and professionals. It then observes specific eHealth applications such as mHealth telehealth electronic health records systems and eLearning and how these contribute to the goals of UHC. Of interest is the extent to which legal frameworks protect patient privacy in EHRs as health care systems move towards to delivering safer more efficient and more accessible health care. Finally the rapidly emerging areas of social media for health care as well as big data for research and planning are reported.
Book Synopsis Revolutionizing Tropical Medicine by : Kerry Atkinson
Download or read book Revolutionizing Tropical Medicine written by Kerry Atkinson and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2019-08-27 with total page 790 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive resource describing innovative technologies and digital health tools that can revolutionize the delivery of health care in low- to middle-income countries, particularly in remote rural impoverished communities Revolutionizing Tropical Medicine offers an up-to-date guide for healthcare and other professionals working in low-resource countries where access to health care facilities for diagnosis and treatment is challenging. Rather than suggesting the expensive solution of building new bricks and mortar clinics and hospitals and increasing the number of doctors and nurses in these deprived areas, the authors propose a complete change of mindset. They outline a number of ideas for improving healthcare including rapid diagnostic testing for infectious and non-infectious diseases at a point-of-care facility, together with low cost portable imaging devices. In addition, the authors recommend a change in the way in which health care is delivered. This approach requires task-shifting within the healthcare provision system so that nurses, laboratory technicians, pharmacists and others are trained in the newly available technologies, thus enabling faster and more appropriate triage for people requiring medical treatment. This text: Describes the current burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases in low- to middle-income countries throughout the world Describes the major advances in healthcare outcomes in low-to middle-income countries derived from implementation of the United Nations/World Health Organisation’s 2000 Millennium Development Goals Provides a review of inexpensive rapid diagnostic point-of-care tests for infectious diseases in low-resource countries, particularly for people living in remote rural areas Provides a review of other rapid point-of-care services for assessing hematological function, biochemical function, renal function, hepatic function and status including hepatitis, acid-base balance, sickle cell disease, severe acute malnutrition and spirometry Explores the use of low-cost portable imaging devices for use in remote rural areas including a novel method of examining the optic fundus using a smartphone and the extensive value of portable ultrasound scanning when x-ray facilities are not available Describes the use of telemedicine in the clinical management of both children and adults in remote rural settings Looks to the future of clinical management in remote impoverished rural settings using nucleic acid identification of pathogens, the use of nanoparticles for water purification, the use of drones, the use of pulse oximetry and the use of near-infrared spectroscopy Finally, it assesses the potential for future healthcare improvement in impoverished areas and how the United Nations/World Health Organization 2015 Sustainable Development Goals are approaching this. Written for physicians, infectious disease specialists, pathologists, radiologists, nurses, pharmacists and other health care workers, as well as government healthcare managers, Revolutionizing Tropical Medicine is a new up-to-date essential and realistic guide to treating and diagnosing patients in low-resource tropical countries based on new technologies.
Book Synopsis WHO Recommendations on Intrapartum Care for a Positive Childbirth Experience by : World Health Organization
Download or read book WHO Recommendations on Intrapartum Care for a Positive Childbirth Experience written by World Health Organization and published by World Health Organization. This book was released on 2018-06-25 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This up-to-date comprehensive and consolidated guideline on essential intrapartum care brings together new and existing WHO recommendations that when delivered as a package will ensure good-quality and evidence-based care irrespective of the setting or level of health care. The recommendations presented in this guideline are neither country nor region specific and acknowledge the variations that exist globally as to the level of available health services within and between countries. The guideline highlights the importance of woman-centred care to optimize the experience of labour and childbirth for women and their babies through a holistic human rights-based approach. It introduces a global model of intrapartum care which takes into account the complexity and diverse nature of prevailing models of care and contemporary practice. The recommendations in this guideline are intended to inform the development of relevant national- and local-level health policies and clinical protocols. Therefore the target audience includes national and local public health policy-makers implementers and managers of maternal and child health programmes health care facility managers nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) professional societies involved in the planning and management of maternal and child health services health care professionals (including nurses midwives general medical practitioners and obstetricians) and academic staff involved in training health care professionals.
Book Synopsis Design and Implementation of Health Information Systems by : World Health Organization Staff
Download or read book Design and Implementation of Health Information Systems written by World Health Organization Staff and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a practical guide to the design and implementation of health information systems in developing countries. Noting that most existing systems fail to deliver timely, reliable, and relevant information, the book responds to the urgent need to restructure systems and make them work as both a resource for routine decisions and a powerful tool for improving health services. With this need in mind, the authors draw on their extensive personal experiences to map out strategies, pinpoint common pitfalls, and guide readers through a host of conceptual and technical options. Information needs at all levels - from patient care to management of the national health system - are considered in this comprehensive guide. Recommended lines of action are specific to conditions seen in government-managed health systems in the developing world. In view of common constraints on time and resources, the book concentrates on strategies that do not require large resources, highly trained staff, or complex equipment. Throughout the book, case studies and numerous practical examples are used to explore problems and illustrate solutions. Details range from a list of weaknesses that plague most existing systems, through advice on when to introduce computers and how to choose appropriate software and hardware, to the hotly debated question of whether patient records should be kept by the patient or filed at the health unit. The book has fourteen chapters presented in four parts. Chapters in the first part, on information for decision-making, explain the potential role of health information as a managerial tool, consider the reasons why this potential is rarely realized, and propose general approaches for reform which have proved successful in several developing countries. Presentation of a six-step procedure for restructuring information systems, closely linked to an organizational model of health services, is followed by a practical discussion of the decision-making process. Reasons for the failure of most health information to influence decisions are also critically assessed. Against this background, the second and most extensive part provides a step-by-step guide to the restructuring of information systems aimed at improving the quality and relevance of data and ensuring their better use in planning and management. Steps covered include the identification of information needs and indicators, assessment of the existing system, and the collection of both routine and non-routine data using recommended procedures and instruments. Chapters also offer advice on procedures for data transmission and processing, and discuss the requirements of systems designed to collect population-based community information. Resource needs and technical tools are addressed in part three. A comprehensive overview of the resource base - from staff and training to the purchase and maintenance of equipment - is followed by chapters offering advice on the introduction of computerized systems in developing countries, and explaining the many applications of geographic information systems. Practical advice on how to restructure a health information system is provided in the final part, which considers how different interest groups can influence the design and implementation of a new system, and proposes various design options for overcoming specific problems. Experiences from several developing countries are used to illustrate strategies and designs in terms of those almost certain to fail and those that have the greatest chances of success
Book Synopsis Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in India by : Mayuri Vijaykumar Panditrao
Download or read book Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in India written by Mayuri Vijaykumar Panditrao and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Women infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can transmit their infection to their baby during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding --a process known as mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 3.4 million children under the age of 15 were living with HIV at the end of 2011. In 2011 alone, 330,000 children had newly acquired HIV from their mothers. `Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV' (PMTCT) refers to a series of interventions that help protect babies born to HIV-infected mothers against the virus. In order to be effective, these interventions need to be implemented as a cascade - starting with antenatal care and continuing during postpartum care. The maximum efficacy of the interventions to reduce MTCT differs by setting. In a developed country setting, the risk of MTCT has be reduced to less than two percent, whereas in a developing country setting, like India, the risk of MTCT still remains relatively higher. The elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV is now considered a realistic public health goal. Considerable efforts to expand PMTCT programs and guaranteeing access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for pregnant and postpartum HIV-infected women has raised the possibility of achieving the virtual elimination of MTCT of HIV. In order to achieve the maximum impact of PMTCT and realize the goal of virtually eliminating new HIV infections among children by 2015, high levels of coverage, access, utilization, and adherence to treatment regimens must be attained across India. However, 40 percent of HIV-infected women enrolled in the national PMTCT program in India are estimated to be lost to follow-up (LTF) even before they receive a single dose of Nevirapine (NVP). PRAYAS, a non-government organization (NGO) located in the city of Pune, Maharashtra, runs one of the largest private sector PMTCT programs in India. Between 2002 and 2008, PRAYAS collaborated with 43 hospitals in nine districts across Maharashtra and provided comprehensive antenatal care (ANC) counseling and HIV testing services to 122,005 pregnant women and enrolled 950 HIV-infected women in the PMTCT program. This dissertation uses de-identified data previously collected by PRAYAS for program purposes. The first goal of this dissertation was to contribute to the knowledge on the factors associated with loss to follow-up during the PMTCT cascade in India. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to estimate the associations between being LTF and socio-demographic factors, using generalized linear models. Results of the multivariate analysis showed that women with less than a college level education, women from poor families, women who were registered after 20 weeks of pregnancy, and women whose partners were HIV-uninfected or of unknown HIV status were more likely to be LTF before delivery. Similarly, the factors associated with being LTF after delivery were less than college level education, being in a poor family and registration after 20 weeks of pregnancy. PMTCT programs are regarded as an entry point to continued care because they provide an opportunity to link an HIV-infected woman, her partner, and her child (if infected) to long-term treatment and care. However, little is known about the factors associated with utilization of continued care among women who have previously utilized PMTCT services. The second goal of this dissertation was to study the barriers associated with reduced utilization of HIV-related continued care in women who have previously accessed PMTCT services in India. After adjusting for potential confounders, results from the multivariate analysis showed that women with poor HIV-related knowledge, women who were currently married, women whose partners had never utilized HIV-related care and women who could not afford to travel to the HIV-care facility were less likely to utilize HIV-related continued treatment and care. The number of HIV-exposed uninfected (HIV-EU) infants identified in India is likely to increase due to the scale up of programs aimed at realizing the goal of elimination of MTCT by 2015. While some studies from developed and developing countries have reported stunting in HIV-EU children compared to HIV-unexposed uninfected children, others have found no such association. No studies on the effect of HIV-exposure on postnatal growth patterns in HIV-EU children in India have been published to date. The final goal of this dissertation was also to assess the effect of in utero HIV exposure on birth weight and postnatal growth in HIV-uninfected children in India. Birth weight, height and weight of 297 HIV-EU children and 1611 HIV-unexposed uninfected children, in India, were compared. Linear regression models were used to evaluate the association between in utero HIV exposure and birth weight and in utero HIV exposure and postnatal height and weight, after adjusting for potential confounders. HIV-EU children weighed 123.5 g less (p
