mothers2mothers (m2m) has a substantial positive impact on efforts to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS from pregnant women and new mothers to their babies, according to an important public health study focusing on key indicators for the prevention of mother-to-child (PMTCT) programs.  Click here for the Horizons Report.

In 2005, Population Council’s Horizon Project, a highly respected international NGO and research organization and Health Systems Trust (HST), an independent South African research organization together with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), initiated an independent evaluation of the program Results from the study were released on 11May 2007 in Washington, DC followed on June 27th by a bipartisan Senate briefing on Capitol Hill sponsored by Senator Joseph Biden and Senator Richard Luger. Below are a few of the highlights.

The results confirm that m2m is having a substantial impact on PMTCT services, contributing to a reduction in the number of babies born with HIV and to improving the health of their mothers. Focusing on key indicators for the prevention of mother-to-child (PMTCT) programs, the evaluation showed that mothers2mothers (m2m) has a positive effect on efforts to prevent the transmission of HIV from pregnant women and new mothers to their babies.  The research also indicates that PMTCT care substantially improved at sites after m2m services were introduced.

The study found that m2m’s programs have a significant impact on key factors involved in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV:
• Increasing the number of women who received drugs to prevent HIV transmission to infants
• Increasing the number of infants receiving the drug to prevent infection with HIV during childbirth
• Increasing the number of women disclosing their HIV status to partners and families
• Improving women’s knowledge about how HIV can be transmitted from mothers to infants during pregnancy and breastfeeding; 
• Increasing the number of women who choose a method of exclusive infant feeding which reduces HIV transmission risk
• Helping women feel that they were better able to help themselves, care for their infants and live positively
• Increasing the number of women who, during pregnancy, received a CD4 test and knew the results to make sure that the appropriate PMTCT drugs were given
• Increasing the use of family planning after pregnancy
• Encouraging more women to discuss the importance of faithfulness and safer sex with their partners

The independent research took place from 2005-2006 at three healthcare facilities in Pietermaritzburg, in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Province. The study looked at the impact of m2m’s peer education and psychosocial support programs on the attitudes and behaviors of pregnant women and new mothers living with HIV/AIDS. Interviews were conducted with more than 1,000 women who came to the clinics for antenatal and post-delivery care. The study compared the findings from women at the clinics before m2m was introduced and a year after it was initiated. The study also compared the results for women who had participated in the m2m program and those who had not.

Overall, the Population Council study is important work demonstrating the value of the education and psychosocial support that mothers2mothers offers mothers living with HIVAIDS. We encourage you to visit the Population Council Website for a full review.