Coverage of maternal viral load monitoring during pregnancy in South Africa: Results from the 2019 national Antenatal HIV Sentinel Survey

Abstract

South Africa has made remarkable progress in increasing the coverage of antiretroviral therapy (ART) among pregnant women; however, viral suppression among pregnant women receiving ART is reported to be low. Access to routine viral load testing is crucial to identify women with unsuppressed viral load early in pregnancy and to provide timely intervention to improve viral suppression. This study aimed to determine the coverage of maternal viral load monitoring nationally, focusing on viral load testing, documentation of viral load test results, and viral suppression (viral load < 50 copies/mL). At the time of this study, the first‐line regimen for women initiating ART during pregnancy was non‐nucleoside reverse transcriptase (NNRTI)‐based regimen.