Operational research project ANRS 12344 – DIAVINA – The first mother- child cohort study have started!
Acting for pregnant HIV-infected women whose HIV status was not screened during the pregnancy period ; enhancing newborns' preventive treatment and screening at birth to increase their chances of survival.
1 March 2017 | Informations
GUINEAOPERATIONAL RESEARCHFighting HIV / AIDS
On Tuesday, February 22th , 2017, in Ignace Deen UHC pediatric department in Conakry, the first cohort study of the project ANRS 12344- DIAVINA has been launched, including mothers whose HIV infection was not diagnosed until childbirth and their newborns. Mothers were immediately diagnosed and treated in the first time; In the second time, newborns benefited an immediate HIV testing and an enhanced preventive treatment (from birth), which will be administered for 12 weeks. Mothers and their children will be monitored for 72 weeks, with regular support to help them take their treatments properly with regular screenings for children.
More than 90% of HIV-infected children worldwide live in sub-Saharan Africa and have been infected with materno-fetal transmission. Despite progress, it is estimated that 1/3 of HIV-positive pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa do not receive antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy, which dramatically increases the risk of maternal-fetal transmission.
Many advances have been made in Guinea by national actors with support of Solthis to screen and treat pregnant women as early as possible during their pregnancy.
Carried out together with national actors and laboratories of the OPP-ERA project in Conakry (where the screenings are carried out), the project ANRS 12344-Diavina, co-financed by the City of Paris, comes in addition to actions already in place in order to respond to the specific issue of pregnant women who have not received antiretroviral treatment during pregnancy.
The project aims to demonstrate the operationality of a new strategy combining enhanced antiretroviral prophylaxis to reduce the rate of HIV transmission and early detection of HIV infection for newborns at high risk of infection. The screening allows immediate initiation of antiretroviral therapy in the case of positive serology, thereby enhancing the chances of survival of infected infants.
Find more about ANRS 12344 – DIAVINA Project
Read our scientific letter dedicated to the project
Find more about the project OPP-ERRA