Babies born to HIV-positive teenage mothers are more likely to be infected with the virus because teenage mothers "fear to reveal their pregnancy and health status to enjoy access to antiretroviral for prevention of mother-to-child transmission.”

This was revealed, last week, in Huye District, as members of the Rwandan Parliamentarians Network on Population and Development (RPRPD) toured health facilities to assess prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) interventions, the state of malnutrition and the civil records.

Senator Celestin Sebuhoro called for new strategies to save the mother and children’s lives from HIV/AIDS.He also called on residents to embrace development programmes, register newborns within the recommended 15 days, and provide them with other basic necessities like healthcare and education.

Médiatrice Mukarugwiza, a community health worker in Ngoma Sector, expressed concern that teenage pregnant girls conceal their health status until they give birth, which hinders timely PMTCT interventions.

Mukarugwiza is a representative of Abishyizehamwe association comprising of 68 HIV-positive members, including 60 mothers.

She said other HIV-positive expectant mothers get required medication, are followed up and sensitised to give birth from health facilities so that the child get anti-retroviral therapy (ARV) medication.

Senator Sebuhoro said government injects a lot of money in mother and child’s health care, and parliament ensures that the money does what it’s allocated to do.

"If such programmes are not fruitful, we have to find out why; if they are fruitful as they are telling us, it is good,” he said.

‘Give your child a chance’

Sebuhoro urged teenage expectant mothers to give their children a chance to be born free of HIV, by embracing PMTCT services at health facilities.

Medics say when a child has been followed up properly and given required medicine from conception to birth and after, it gives the child good chance to be born free from HIV/AIDS even when one or both of their parents are HIV positive.

Figures from Matyazo Health Centre in Huye show that the health facility last year received 12 HIV-positive pregnant mothers but were all followed up for healthcare and gave birth to healthy children.

The centre has so far received three HIV-positive mothers this year.

Jean Baptiste Nsabimana, the in-charge of PMTCT services at Kabutare Hospital, said they give medicine to HIV-positive mothers during pregnancy, labour and after giving birth as well as to the child to prevent HIV.

MP Jacqueline Mukakanyamugenge said the results from the health facility can help them understand the picture of the PMTCT services elsewhere.

The parliamentarians appreciated PMTCT services in Huye health facilities, but urged health workers as well as the community to sensitise young girls about the importance of PMTCT interventions.

Sister Athanasie Kayiganwa, the director of Matyazo Health Centre, said the centre does its best to save the life of newborns from HIV, but cited inadequate skills among community health workers on PMTCT, among their challenges.

The legislators are touring 12 districts in Southern, Eastern and Northern provinces.

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