Stop the Spread of HIV from Mothers to Babies

Rebecca is a 33-year-old HIV-positive woman but because of elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV services at Alive Medical Services, she is a mother of two HIV-negative children.

Rebecca’s parents were unable to pay her school fees while she was still in secondary school, forcing her to rely on her boyfriend, who was willing to pay her school fees on the condition that she marries him. He died after a few years and Rebecca was devastated. She had no idea what had caused this tragedy and assumed it was a normal illness. She resumed her normal life, fell in love again, and became pregnant. When she went to the health centre for a pregnancy test, she also did an HIV test and learned for the first time that she was HIV positive.

"It was difficult for me to accept the news of my HIV status, and I also realized it had to do with my first marriage. But the doctors comforted me and convinced me that I still had a chance at life. They restored my hope, and I was given a referral to Alive Medical Services to begin ART immediately. The health workers at Alive Medical Services were incredible, and they taught me how to protect my baby from HIV, which is when I began taking ARV medication. They assisted me in disclosing to my husband, who accepted me, and we are still living together to this day." narrates Rebecca.

Rebecca's eldest child with her second husband grew up healthy and HIV-negative, and he is now 5 years old. They decided to have another child when their first child was 4 years old. After the second child was born, they continued to visit the health centre for tests and follow-up visits; at the age of 18 months, the child, like their father, is HIV negative.

"Having an HIV-negative family has given me a lot of power since my first husband died from HIV." It has also assisted me in staying healthy and caring for myself and my family, which is why I am still alive today. That is why I am grateful to Alive Medical Services and everyone who donates money to help us get the medication and other care we require. I had no hope at first, but now I realize that medication can help me stay alive and healthy." says Rebecca.

If elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV services is not provided, pregnant women with HIV, have a high chance of transmitting the virus to their babies during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding. Alive Medical Services, prioritizes working to eliminate new HIV infections among children through the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission (EMTCT) initiative.