PhD Student

Course Start: 23/03/2015
Supervisor: Dr Shuby Puthussery

Thesis Title

Attitudes and perceptions of HIV-infected pregnant women to the use of antiretroviral therapy for prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

Abstract

Despite noticeable political will and practical means, the number of Nigerian HIV-infected pregnant women receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) to prevent mother to child transmission (MTCT) of HIV is not increasing as expected by public health authorities. The World Health Organization estimated that at the end of 2015 only about 30% of Nigerian HIV-infected pregnant women received ART to prevent MTCT. As a result, MTCT has become a major public health problem in Nigeria, accounting for 32% of the global burden. Evidence suggests that attitudes and perceptions of HIV-infected pregnant women influence the use of ART for prevention of MTCT. However, limited evidence exists with regards to HIV-infected women’s attitudes and perceptions to ART in Nigeria. This study explores the attitudes and perceptions of HIV-infected pregnant women to the use of ART for PMTCT in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The research employed an exploratory sequential mixed method containing qualitative and quantitative phases. The first phase (qualitative) explores the individual attitudes and perceptions of HIV-infected pregnant. Semi-structured in-depth interviews, conducted in May and June 2016 were completed in English Language with 24 participants in three tertiary hospitals located in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Interviews were recorded and analyzed using thematic analytical approach, which helped to identify and categorize patterns and themes in the interview transcripts. In the second phase, a survey instrument is developed from the findings of the qualitative phase. The survey instrument will be used to conduct a quantitative survey among randomly selected HIV-infected pregnant women in the same hospitals to further examine the qualitative data and to identify factors that influence attitudes and perceptions. Findings from both phases will then be integrated to form the main findings of this study

Research Questions

What are the attitudes and perceptions of pregnant women to the use of ART for PMTCT of HIV in Nigeria?

Contact Information

E: puremeluan.major@study.beds.ac.uk