BackgroundThe Millennium Villages Project (MVP) implemented in Western Kenya a mobile Health tool that uses text messages to coordinate Community Health Worker (CHW) activities around antenatal care (ANC) and Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT), named the ANC/PMTCT Adherence System (APAS).MethodsEnd-user changes in health-seeking behavior in ANC and postnatal care (PNC) were investigated following registration of 800 women into APAS. These investigations employed interviews of pregnant women or new mothers (n = 67) and CHWs (n = 20). Ordinal logistic regressions and exact binomial tests were used in the routine data analyses (n = 650, health registers).ResultsAll CHWs interviewed agreed that APAS helped them track pregnant woman efficiently, compared to paper-based tracking forms. Women registered in APAS reported that CHWs reminded them of appointments more regularly than before its inception.The routine data analysis showed that among women who had their 1st ANC visit in the 2nd trimester, women who resided in the MVP cluster and were in APAS had:3 times the odds of going for more ANC visits compared to women who were not registered (but resided in the cluster), after adjusting for the mother’s HIV status in the multivariate model (Adjusted OR = 2.58, 95% CI [1.10-6.01]);twice the odds of going for more ANC visits compared to women who were not registered and resided outside the cluster (Adjusted OR = 2.37, 95% CI [0.99-5.67])Among women not registered, residence inside or outside the cluster did not affect the number of ANC visits made (Adjusted OR = 0.86, 95% CI [0.45-1.69]).The APAS also greatly increased the likelihood of women making the 6 recommended post-delivery baby follow-ups.For women registered in APAS, the MTCT rate at 18 months was significantly different from that of women not registered, and from the global rate of 30%. Women not registered had a 9% MTCT rate at 18 months regardless of residence, while women registered had a 0% transmission rate at both 9 and 18 months.ConclusionsThe incorporation of mHealth tools in CHW programs can improve adherence to ANC and PNC and enhance PMTCT efforts.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-1358-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

BackgroundIn most parts of the world, men access health services less frequently than women, and this trend is unrelated to differences in need for services. While male involvement in healthcare as partners or fathers has been extensively studied, less is known about the health-seeking behavior of men as clients themselves. This interventional research study aimed to determine how the introduction of male-friendly clinics impacted male care-seeking behavior and to describe the reasons for accessing services among men in rural Kenya.Methods and findingsWe questioned men to assess utilization and perceptions of existing health clinics, then designed and evaluated a “male clinics” intervention where dedicated male health workers were hired for one year to offer routine, free services exclusively to men within existing healthcare facilities. Results were compared between data from Male Clinics in specific health facilities, the same facilities concurrently, nearby control facilities concurrently, and intervention facilities historically.Costs of services, distance to facilities, and quality of care were the main barriers to healthcare access reported. The number of total visits was significantly higher than control groups (p<0·0001). In the intervention group, 18·6% of visits were for a checkup compared to almost none in control groups. The most common diagnoses overall were upper respiratory tract infections, malaria and injury. A major limitation of this study is the non-comparability in information captured using the Male Clinic registers compared to control registers.ConclusionsCosts and quality of services deter men from seeking healthcare. The introduction of male-friendly health services could encourage men to seek preventive care and increase service uptake.

Background The effectiveness of community-based primary health care (CBPHC) interventions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), especially for maternal, neonatal and child health, is well established. However, there has not been a systematic review of the literature on the effectiveness of CBPHC on HIV outcomes derived from rigorous assessments of primary studies. Using peer-reviewed studies of randomized interventions or those containing a specified control group and directly measuring clinical HIV outcomes, we provide evidence for the effectiveness of CBPHC on HIV outcomes for mothers and children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods Eligibility criteria included studies assessing the effectiveness of community-based HIV interventions with or without a facility-based component, or multiple integrated projects, with outcome measures defining an aspect of HIV health status such as the utilization of prevention or health care services, nutritional status, serious morbidity (including clinical measures of HIV progression) or mortality of children aged five or younger and pregnant women. Articles published through June 3, 2020 were identified by searching four databases. The type of community-based projects implemented, the implementors, and the implementation strategies of each program were identified and the impact on HIV-related outcomes assessed. Results The search yielded 10 537 articles; 4881 underwent title and abstract screening after removing duplicates. Of these, 117 studies qualified for full-text screening; only 22 were included in the final analysis. Most studies showed that community-based interventions improved HIV prevention and treatment outcomes compared to facility-based approaches alone. Each study had at least one statistically significant HIV-related outcome; the non-significant outcomes found in six of the 22 studies were mostly not related to HIV programming. Most interventions were implemented by community health workers; other implementers were government workers, community members, or research staff. Strategies used included peer-to-peer education, psychosocial support, training of community champions, community-based follow-up care, home-based care, and integrated care. Conclusions CBPHC strategies are effective in improving population-based, HIV-related health outcomes for mothers and children, especially in combination with facility-based approaches. However, there is a need to assess the scalability of such interventions and integrate them into existing health systems to assess their impact on the HIV pandemic in more routine settings.

BackgroundMother to child transmission (MTCT) of HIV remains a challenge in resource-limited settings. Central to elimination of MTCT is effective Provider Initiated HIV Counseling and Testing (PICT). Research has shown that conducting PICT only at the initial antenatal care (ANC) visit fails to benefit pregnant women who seroconvert later in their pregnancy. This study aimed to determine the most cost effective time to perform repeat HIV testing during ANC and perinatal care (PNC). MethodsWe studied the repeat HIV testing results of pregnant women � 18 and adolescent girls aged 15-17 in the Sauri, Kenya Millennium Villages Project (MVP) site. Nurses provided HIV screening to 1,403 expectant women and 256 adolescent girls following the 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th ANC visits, at birth and 6 and 14 weeks postpartum. ResultsFive women seroconverted during the study period (incidence proportion 0.41%). One woman seroconverted at the 2 nd ANC visit, another one at the 3 rd , two at the 4 th and one at 6 weeks post-partum. Of all the women who seroconverted, four reported an HIV negative primary partner, while one reported an unknown partner status. None of the participants reported condom use during pregnancy. Two of the seroconverters vertically transmitted HIV to their babies. The results did not suggest a clear pattern of seroconversion during ANC and PNC.

In this study of 14 days each of vaginal and rectal application of TFV reduced-glycerin 1% gel, we found only a small degree of cross-compartment distribution of TFV in RF and vaginal fluids and no pharmacodynamic activity in ex vivo testing. Although high TFV concentrations in the dosing compartment may be protective, low cross-compartment tissue concentrations are not likely to be protective.