Every year in Uganda, nearly 91,000 babies are born to HIV-infected mothers and risk starting their lives with a deadly disease. Mother-to-child transmission of HIV accounts for 21 percent of the total HIV transmission cases in the country.
Despite these figures, it’s important to remember that mother-to-child transmission is entirely preventable. In fact, simply through monitoring and tracking the delivery of a proven set of health interventions, the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV is very possible.
Digital health tools are helping to make eMTCT not just possible but also likely. Last week’s World AIDS Day marked a critical moment to explore how digital health can build essential connections among pregnant women, health facilities, health providers, and stewards of national health systems to ensure no newborns fall through the cracks.
About the authors
Edward Bitarakwate
Dr. Edward Bitarakwate is the country director of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation in Uganda. Previous to his position leading the foundation’s efforts in Uganda, he acted as the country program’s technical director, coordinating prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and HIV care and treatment expansion efforts since 2004.
Hima Batavia@himabatavia
Hima Batavia is a digital health in developing countries specialist and a passionate community builder. Her work with organizations including HealthEnabled, the United Nations Foundation, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, and the Earth Institute, among other development organizations has taken her across India and parts of Africa.
