Author(s) :

Chito Boika Nkanga.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

Efforts undertaken in the fight against HIV have not yet ensured optimal effectiveness of prevention, screening, and care strategies across several contexts. In this perspective, the present study analyzes healthcare providers’ knowledge and practices regarding counseling guidelines in the management of HIV among pregnant women.A cross-sectional study was conducted among 73 healthcare providers selected through convenience sampling from a total of 185, working across 11 health areas in the Wangata Health Zone in Mbandaka. The results show that 52% of providers do not master the steps of counseling, and 88% do not perform pre-test counseling prior to HIV testing. The main reasons reported include providers’ perceptions (48%), fear (19%), lack of training (11%), refusal by pregnant women (8%), poor mastery of counseling steps (6%), lack of time (5%), and negligence (3%).These shortcomings compromise the communication of results to patients diagnosed as HIV-positive and reflect organizational dysfunctions within prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services. The study therefore highlights the inadequacy of counseling—despite its central role in the Provider-Initiated Testing and Counseling (PITC) strategy—and underscores the need to strengthen both provider competencies and health service organization.

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