{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T13:54:00Z","timestamp":1785419640099,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"AOSIS","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,13]],"date-time":"2024-05-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1715558400000},"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:\u00a0The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused global disruptions in healthcare service delivery. The prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) services were also interrupted, threatening the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 3. This article describes the PMTCT service interruptions experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tshwane healthcare facilities.\n\nMethods:\u00a0A descriptive phenomenological design was used to explore and describe the experiences of healthcare providers offering PMTCT services during COVID-19 in the Tshwane district, Gauteng province. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 16 participants, and Colaizzi\u2019s data analysis steps were followed in analysing the findings.\n\nResults:\u00a0Participants reported interruptions in PMTCT service delivery during the pandemic. Non-adherence to scheduled visits resulted in patients defaulting or not adhering to treatment regimens, high viral loads and mother\u2013infant pairs\u2019 loss to follow-up. Other features of service disruption included late antenatal bookings, low client flow and delays in conducting deoxyribonucleic acid-polymerase chain reaction (DNA-PCR) testing in HIV-exposed babies. In addition, staff shortages occurred because of re-assignments to COVID-19-related activities. Study participants were psychologically affected by the fear of contracting COVID-19 and worked in a frustrating and stressful environment.\n\nConclusion:\u00a0Improved community-based follow-up services are critical to enhance PMTCT service outcomes and prevent infant HIV infections.\n\nContribution:\u00a0The findings may influence policymakers in developing strategies to curb HIV infections among mothers and children during pandemics.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4102\/safp.v66i1.5899","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,14]],"date-time":"2024-05-14T18:12:31Z","timestamp":1715710351000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV service interruptions amid COVID-19 pandemic"],"prefix":"10.4102","volume":"66","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-7461-8871","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Florence M.Q.","family":"Setshedi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/003hsr719","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7544-9393","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Livhuwani","family":"Tshivhase","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/003hsr719","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6122-8151","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Idah","family":"Moyo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/048cwvf49","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2580","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref0","unstructured":"World Health Organization. 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