The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Elimination of paediatric HIV in kwazulu-natal, South Africa: Large-scale assessment of interventions for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission

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Horwood, C., K. Vermaak, et al. (2012). "Elimination of paediatric HIV in kwazulu-natal, South Africa: Large-scale assessment of interventions for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission." Élimination du VIH pédiatrique dans le kwazulu-natal, afrique du sud: Évaluation à grande échelle des mesures de prévention contre la transmission mère-enfant 90(3): 168-175.

Objective: To report the rates of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of the human immunodefciency virus (HIV), and the coverage of interventions designed to prevent such transmission, in KwaZulu-Natal.

Methods: Mothers with infants aged ≤ 16 weeks and fathers or legal guardians with infants aged 4-8 weeks who, between May 2008. and April 2009, attended immunization clinics in six districts of KwaZulu-Natal were included. The mothers' uptake of interventions for the prevention of MTCT was explored. Blood samples from infants aged 4-8 weeks were tested for anti-HIV antibodies and, if antibody-positive, for HIV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).

Findings: Of the 19 494 mothers investigated, 89·9% reported having had an HIV test in their recent pregnancy. Of the 19 138 mothers who reported ever having had an HIV test, 34.4% reported that they had been found HIV-positive and, of these, 13.7% had started lifelong antiretroviral treatment and 67.2% had received zidovudine and nevirapine. Overall, 40.4% of the 7981 infants tested were found positive for anti-HIV antibodies, indicating HIV exposure. Just 7.1% of the infants checked for HIV DNA (equating to 2.8% of the infants tested for anti-HIV antibodies) were found positive.

Conclusion: The low levels of MTCT observed among the infants indicate the rapid, successful implementation of interventions for the prevention of such transmission. Sampling at immunization clinics appears to ofer a robust method of estimating the impact of interventions designed to reduce such transmission. Large-scale elimination of paediatric HIV infections appears feasible, although this goal has not yet been fully achieved in KwaZulu-Natal.