"On the Horizon" is an electronic news capsule from the Horizons Program.
Horizons ( http://www.popcouncil.org/horizons/horizons.html
<http://www.popcouncil.org/horizons/horizons.html> ) is a global operations
research program designed to:

1) Identify and test potential strategies to improve HIV/AIDS prevention,
care, and support programs and service delivery.

2) Disseminate research findings and promote their utilization with the aim
of replicating and scaling up successful interventions.



A symposium sponsored by the Horizons Program

Expanding HIV Prevention and Care Through Prevention of Mother-to-Child
Transmission (PMTCT)  Programs: From Research to Practice


On December 10, the results of recent operations research studies on PMTCT
programs in Kenya and Zambia and of an evaluation of UN-supported
interventions in 11 countries were discussed. Presenters and panelists
highlighted how PMTCT programs are an opportunity to expand HIV prevention
and care for women and their infants and families.

For more information about this event:
http://www.popcouncil.org/horizons/mtgs/dcmtct03.html


Recent Horizons Publications on Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission

Newsletter:

Horizons Report Dec 2004: PMTCT: From Research to Practice


Feature Stories:

"Prevention of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission"
Highlights the final results of a four-year intervention study to assess the
feasibility, acceptability, and cost of a package of PMTCT services in Kenya
and Zambia.

"How Implementing PMTCT Services Expands HIV Prevention and Care"
Discusses the benefits to antenatal and maternal/child health programs of
including PMTCT services.

"Striking the Right Balance: Counseling Mothers on Infant Feeding to Reduce
Risk"
Summarizes findings of a study that investigated ways to provide sensitive
yet effective infant feeding counseling to mothers.

Newsletter (available in html and pdf):
http://www.popcouncil.org/horizons/newsletter/horizons_report.html




Research Summaries:

Family Planning and PMTCT Services: Examining Interrelationships,
Strengthening Linkages

Findings from Horizons studies on the extent to which voluntary counseling
and testing (VCT) and PMTCT programs address family planning, and vice
versa. Horizons collaborated with NARESA in Kenya, the MTCT Working Group in
Zambia, and UNICEF.




HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing:
An Essential Component in Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV

Focuses on VCT in the antenatal care setting, examining specifically service
utilization by pregnant women, their perceptions of services, client
outcomes as a result of undergoing HIV counseling and testing, and
strategies for improving quality and coverage of VCT as a key component of
PMTCT programs. The data come from a four-year intervention study conducted
by Horizons, NARESA in Kenya, the MTCT Working Group in Zambia, and UNICEF.




Infant Feeding and Counseling Within Kenyan and Zambian PMTCT Services:
How Well Does It Promote Good Feeding Practices?

In collaboration with NARESA in Kenya and the MTCT Working Group in Zambia,
Horizons examined the implementation of infant feeding counseling as part of
a comprehensive study in each country to document the acceptability,
operational barriers, cost, and impact of pilot PMTCT services.

Available at: http://www.popcouncil.org/horizons/ressum.html




Full Reports:

Empowering Communities to Respond to HIV/AIDS
Ndola Demonstration Project on Maternal and Child Health: Operations
Research Final Report

This report summarizes findings of an intervention study conducted by
Horizons, LINKAGES, National Food and Nutrition Commission, District Health
Management Team, Hope Humana, and the Zambia Integrated Health Program in
Ndola, Zambia. This study investigated how integrating services for the
prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV into low-resource maternal
and child health and antenatal care settings influences women's ability to
make and implement informed decisions about HIV.
Full Report (PDF): http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/horizons/ndolafnl.pdf


Also available: Ndola Demonstration Project: A Midterm Analysis of Lessons
Learned
Full Report (PDF): http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/horizons/ndolamdtrm.pdf



Evaluation of United Nations-Supported Pilot Projects for the Prevention of
Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV: Overview of Findings

This report presents key findings from an evaluation by the Horizons Program
of UN-supported pilot prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission
projects in eleven countries.
Full Report (PDF):
http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/horizons/pmtctunicefevalovrvw.pdf



Programme Recommendations for the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission
of HIV:
A Practical Guide for Managers

Produced in collaboration with UNICEF, this guide provides specific guidance
for improving and scaling up PMTCT programs, based on what program managers
and evaluators identify as successful strategies.
Full Report (PDF):
http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/horizons/pmtctunicefevalprogmgr.pdf




Horizons is implemented by the Population Council in partnership with the
International Center for Research on Women, the International HIV/AIDS
Alliance, the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health, Tulane
University, Family Health International, and Johns Hopkins University. This
announcement and the publications listed above were made possible through
support provided by the Global Bureau of Health/HIV-AIDS, U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID), under terms of Award No.
HRN-A-00-97-00012-00. The opinions expressed herein are those of the
author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID.

Copyright (c) 2004 The Population Council, Inc.



Sherry Hutchinson


Horizons/Population Council
4301 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 280
Washington, DC 20008
www.popcouncil.org/horizons

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