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Infant Formula Shortage Frustrates PMTCT
Francistown, Jun 18, 2009 (Mmegi/The Reporter/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) --
Shortage of Infant Formula milk still has been a problem in Francistown since last year, it was revealed at an AIDs workshop Tuesday.
Infant Formula, one of the benefits of Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) programmes, remains one of the main challenges. PMTCT coordinator for the Francistown City Council (FCC), Mogomotsi Orefile, said this at an HIV and AIDS workshop held by BOTUSA and MISA Botswana in Francistown on 16 June at Marang Hotel.
"The supply is not regular because some months we get the formula and other months we do not," said Orefile.
He said the problem lies with the suppliers. He said they now have to order milk from the Ministry of Health (MOH) because the system is centralised.
"It is a problem because we are enrolling these mothers and we are expected to provide them with the formula especially for those who do not have the means to afford the formula," he said. He further said that this causes problems because the principle of 'exclusive feeding' is defeated.
"When mothers have no formula and no money to buy, they will temporarily breastfeed until they can find the formula again and children end up getting infected by the same virus that we tried to protect them from since before they were born," he stated.
Stating other challenges, Orefile said that the PMTCT also faced the problem of repeated pregnancies by HIV positive mothers who know their status.
"We still have those mothers who know their status and still fall pregnant," he said. He said that every three months the numbers of mothers who enrolled into Ante Natal Care who knew that they are positive increased in large numbers.
She said women have told them that they have the right to have children. Others complain about lack of support from PMTCT.
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