The Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) has expressed satisfaction with its contribution towardsPrevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV programme through the Improving Parent to Child Outcomes (IMPACT) project.
The UNAids Global Plan report of 2014 reported that Malawi recorded a 23 percent decline in new infections among children from 350,000 in 2009 to 199,000 in 2013.
The report plan, Towards the elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive, also indicated that at varying rates, Malawi had the largest decline at 67 percent although it started from a higher transmission rate than other countries.
Speaking on Wednesday during end of project evaluation findings report dissemination meeting in Liwonde, deputy general secretary for EAM, Reverend Grey Mwalabu, said out of 3200 clients that were registered in the project, 20 percent were HIV positive and less than half of them delivered HIV negative babies.
“This is very encouraging, as we end this project, we are happy to have achieved our primary objective of the IMPACT project which was to reduce vertical transmission of HIV,” Said Mwalabu.
He said through the project, a higher population of women supported by Mothers Buddies had received counseling and were also encouraged to access medical drugs and delivered at the hospital.
“This is the only way we can be assured that the HIV positive pregnant mothers access required drugs for the protection of their babies,” he said.
Mwalabu condemned a tendency by some pastors who stop HIV positive individuals from taking Antiretroviral (ART) drugs.
“This is why as a church organisation we have come in the open to condemn this, HIV positive people must be encouraged to take ARVs so that they continue to live a health life,” he advised.
District Health Officer for Chiradzulu, Stain Chinomba, said he appreciated efforts by government’s partners in promoting safe motherhood and PMTCT.
Chinomba pledged to ensure that programs implemented by ECM in the district receive full support so that they bring notable impact to people at grassroots.
He also called upon other stakeholders to come forward with projects that will help solve challenges the ministry of health was facing.
With support from TearFund, ECM started implementing the three year project in 2011, in Chiradzulu, Balaka and Mzimba in partnership with the Livingstonia Synod of the CCAP’s Aids Programme.
