"The right time is just after birth": acceptability of point-of-care birth testing in Eswatini: qualitative results from infant caregivers, health care workers, and policymakers.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Testing for HIV at birth has the potential to identify infants infected in utero, and allows for the possibility of beginning treatment immediately after birth; point of care (POC) testing allows rapid return of results and faster initiation on treatment for positive infants. Eswatini piloted birth testing in three public maternities for over 2 years.

Methods

In order to assess the acceptability of POC birth testing in the pilot sites in Eswatini, interviews were held with caregivers of HIV-exposed infants who were offered birth testing (N = 28), health care workers (N = 14), and policymakers (N = 10). Participants were purposively sampled. Interviews were held in English or SiSwati, and transcribed in English. Transcripts were coded by line, and content analysis

SUBMITTER: Sacks E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7362515 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature