{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T17:21:46Z","timestamp":1785432106046,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"AOSIS","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]],"date-time":"2026-05-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1779148800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) guidelines provide evidence-based protocols to prevent infections such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from passing from mother-to-child. Regular updates ensure alignment with evolving treatments and best practices. It is therefore essential that all healthcare professionals clearly understand and consistently follow the latest PMTCT guidelines. So far, there seems to be limited research that explored healthcare professionals\u2019 knowledge and practices regarding the PMTCT guidelines in South Africa.\nAim: This study aimed to assess healthcare professionals\u2019 knowledge and compliance related to the South African 2023 PMTCT guidelines.\nSetting: Healthcare professionals involved in antenatal and postnatal care across public and private healthcare facilities in all South Africa\u2019s provinces.\nMethods: A cross-sectional study of 221 participants (35 doctors, 77 nurses and 109 clinical associates) was conducted over 8 weeks using an online survey distributed via social media.\nResults: Participants generally demonstrated high knowledge of the PMTCT guidelines, with significantly higher scores among those who had received formal training. Some knowledge deficits, e.g. in HIV testing procedures and infant antiretroviral dosing, remain. Doctors showed significantly higher knowledge scores than nurses and clinical associates. Fewer than half of the participants reported consistent compliance.\nConclusion: While knowledge of the PMTCT framework was high, low compliance remains.\nContribution: This study provides foundational information on the knowledge of healthcare professionals across various South African provinces about the 2023 PMTCT guidelines, highlights the vital role of clinical associates and stresses the need for consistent and structured PMTCT training.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4102\/phcfm.v18i1.5304","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,18]],"date-time":"2026-05-18T14:16:57Z","timestamp":1779113817000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Knowledge and compliance related to the prevention of mother-to-child transmission guidelines amongst South African healthcare professionals"],"prefix":"10.4102","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0664-3168","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ayabonga","family":"Vika","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/05bk57929","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Stellenbosch University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4286-1354","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Burt","family":"Davis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/05bk57929","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Stellenbosch University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2580","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref0","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ramoshaba R, Lebese RT. Knowledge and awareness of MTCT and PMTCT post-natal follow-up services among HIV-infected mothers in the Mankweng region, South Africa. Open AIDS J. 2017;11:36\u201343. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2174\/1874613601711010036","DOI":"10.2174\/1874613601711010036"},{"key":"ref1","unstructured":"World Health Organization. WHO validates elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis in Cuba [homepage on the Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2015 [cited 2025 Dec 11]. Available from: https:\/\/www.who.int\/news\/item\/30-06-2015-who-validates-elimination-of-mother-to-child-transmission-of-hiv-and-syphilis-in-cuba"},{"key":"ref2","unstructured":"UNICEF. Botswana leads the way in eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV [homepage on the Internet]. UNICEF; 2025 [cited 2025 Jun 04]. Available from: https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/esa\/press-releases\/botswana-leads-way-eliminating-mother-child-transmission-hiv"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wessels J, Strode G, Bamford L, et al. The updated South African national guideline for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of communicable infections (2019). S Afr J HIV Med. 2020;21(1):a1079. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/sajhivmed.v21i1.1079","DOI":"10.4102\/sajhivmed.v21i1.1079"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Richardson T, Essajee S, Engelbrecht A, et al. Recognition of infants at high risk for vertical HIV transmission at delivery in rural Western Cape Province, South Africa. S Afr Med J. 2022;112(11):892\u2013898. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7196\/SAMJ.2022.v112i11.16541","DOI":"10.7196\/SAMJ.2022.v112i11.16541"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Horak J, Venter WDF, Wattrus C, et al. Southern African HIV clinicians society guideline for post-exposure prophylaxis: Updated recommendations. S Afr J HIV Med. 2023;24(1):a1456. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/sajhivmed.v24i1.1522","DOI":"10.4102\/sajhivmed.v24i1.1522"},{"key":"ref6","unstructured":"World Health Organization. Consolidated guidelines on HIV prevention, testing, treatment, service delivery and monitoring: Recommendations for a public health approach [homepage on the Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2021 [cited 2025 Oct 23]. Available from: https:\/\/www.who.int\/publications\/i\/item\/9789240031593"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Woldesenbet SA, Jackson D, Goga AE, et al. Missed opportunities for early infant HIV diagnosis. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2015;68(3):e26\u2013e32. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/QAI.0000000000000460","DOI":"10.1097\/QAI.0000000000000460"},{"key":"ref8","unstructured":"National Department of Health (South Africa). Guideline for vertical transmission prevention of communicable infections [homepage on the Internet]. Pretoria: NDoH; 2023 [cited 2025 Dec 19]. Available from: https:\/\/knowledgehub.health.gov.za\/system\/files\/elibdownloads\/2023-09\/2023%20Vertical%20Transmission%20Prevention%20Guideline%2004092023%20signed%20WEB_1.pdf"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Burton R, Goga AE, Stinson K. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission in South Africa: An ever-changing landscape. Obstet Med. 2015;8(1):5\u201312. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1753495X15570994","DOI":"10.1177\/1753495X15570994"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zamparini J, Hsiao NY, Davies N, et al. Adherence to HIV vertical transmission prevention policies in a tertiary-level obstetric unit in South Africa. Obstet Med. 2025. Epub ahead of print.","DOI":"10.1177\/1753495X251317263"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ogbonna K, Govender I, Tumbo J. Knowledge and practice of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV guidelines amongst doctors and nurses at Odi Hospital, Tshwane District. S Afr Fam Pract. 2016;58(5):167\u2013172. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/20786190.2016.1228561","DOI":"10.1080\/20786190.2016.1228561"},{"key":"ref12","unstructured":"Mogano P, Selelo N, Gous A. Knowledge, practices and attitudes of professional nurses on prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV at a government hospital in Mabopane, Pretoria. Afr J Phys Health Educ Recreat Dance. 2009;15(2):183\u2013193."},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Chisholm B, Strode A, Blockman M. South African healthcare workers\u2019 knowledge of dolutegravir drug\u2013drug interactions in the first year of its rollout: A cross-sectional online survey. J Int AIDS Soc. 2022;25(3):e25876. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/jia2.25885","DOI":"10.1002\/jia2.25885"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Magugu PD, Mabaso L, Naidoo KL. Knowledge and attitudes in the prevention of vertical transmission of HIV in referral hospitals. S Afr J HIV Med. 2024;25(1):a1567. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/sajhivmed.v25i1.1553","DOI":"10.4102\/sajhivmed.v25i1.1553"},{"key":"ref15","unstructured":"BusinessTech. Doctors and nurses are leaving South Africa \u2013 And it means you\u2019ll pay more, medical aid warns [homepage on the Internet]. 2022 [cited 2025 Dec 19]. Available from: https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/lifestyle\/609558\/doctors-and-nurses-are-leaving-south-africa-and-it-means-youll-pay-more-medical-aid-warns\/"},{"key":"ref16","unstructured":"South African Nursing Council. Provincial distribution of nursing manpower versus the population of the Republic of South Africa as at 31 December 2022 [homepage on the Internet]. Pretoria: SANC; 2023 [cited 2025 Oct 23]. Available from: https:\/\/www.sanc.co.za\/2022-stats\/"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ngcobo S, Burch VC, Couper I, et al. The role of clinical associates in South Africa as a health workforce: A scoping review. Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med. 2024;16(1):a4045. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/phcfm.v16i1.4421","DOI":"10.4102\/PHCFM.v16i1.4421"},{"key":"ref18","unstructured":"Field A. Discovering statistics using SPSS. 3rd ed. London: Sage; 2009."},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Maher JM, Markey JC, Ebert-May D. The other half of the story: Effect size analysis in quantitative research. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2013;12(3):345\u2013351. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1187\/cbe.13-04-0082","DOI":"10.1187\/cbe.13-04-0082"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Chauhan GR, Chauhan BR, Vaza JV, et al. Relations of the number of functioning distractors with the item difficulty index and the item discrimination power in the multiple-choice questions. Cureus. 2023;15(7):e42492. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7759\/cureus.42492","DOI":"10.7759\/cureus.42492"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nduati R, Wamalwa D, Matheka E, et al. Inter-professional mentor teams and systems analysis and improvement approach for elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV at university-affiliated teaching hospitals in Kenya. BMC Health Serv Res. 2025;25:987. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1101\/2025.09.22.25336422","DOI":"10.1101\/2025.09.22.25336422"}],"container-title":["African Journal of Primary Health Care &amp; Family Medicine"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/phcfm.org\/index.php\/phcfm\/article\/view\/5304\/9325","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,18]],"date-time":"2026-05-18T14:17:13Z","timestamp":1779113833000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/phcfm.org\/index.php\/phcfm\/article\/view\/5304"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]]},"references-count":22,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/phcfm.v18i1.5304","relation":{},"ISSN":["2071-2928","2071-2936"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2071-2928","type":"print"},{"value":"2071-2936","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]]},"article-number":"a5304"}}