The association between maternal HIV and stillbirths in an era of universal art in pregnancy in the Western Cape, South Africa
type: CreativeWork
description: BACKGROUND: Annually, approximately 1.9 million stillbirths occur globally, with a rate of 13.9 per 1000 births. The devastating aftermath affects around 4.2 million mothers, and 75% of stillbirths are concentrated in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) particularly, with a rate of 32.2 per 1000 births in SSA. South Africa reported a stillbirth rate of 16.3 per 1000 births in 2019, despite global efforts to reduce stillbirth rates. SSA also faces the highest global HIV prevalence at 20%. South Africa, home to 8.4 million people living with HIV, grapples with a 30% prevalence among pregnant individuals. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage for pregnant individuals reached 97% in 2019, especially in the Western Cape with an HIV prevalence of 17.9% among antenatal individuals. Quality antenatal care (ANC) is crucial, with research showing a lower stillbirth rate for those receiving higher quality ANC. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 introduced new challenges, potentially influencing stillbirth rates through factors like lockdowns and limited healthcare access. Pregnant individuals contracting SARS-CoV-2 faced an increased likelihood of stillbirth. In this context, our cohort study in the Western Cape, South Africa, utilized routine health data to investigate the contemporary relationship between pregnant individuals with HIV and stillbirths in the era of universal ART during pregnancy. The study explores associations with demographic and clinical variables, including the quality of ANC. METHODS Utilizing data from the Western Cape Pregnancy Exposure Registry (PER) between 2017 and 2021, this cohort study focused on pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) at the Gugulethu Midwife Obstetrics Unit (GMOU) and Worcester Midwife Obstetrics Unit (WMOU) in South Africa. Integrated information from the Provincial Health Data Centre (PHDC) was used to create a linked database for cohort generation. The cohort included women aged 18 or older, with known HIV status and a …
abstract: BACKGROUND: Annually, approximately 1.9 million stillbirths occur globally, with a rate of 13.9 per 1000 births. The devastating aftermath affects around 4.2 million mothers, and 75% of stillbirths are concentrated in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) particularly, with a rate of 32.2 per 1000 births in SSA. South Africa reported a stillbirth rate of 16.3 per 1000 births in 2019, despite global efforts to reduce stillbirth rates. SSA also faces the highest global HIV prevalence at 20%. South Africa, home to 8.4 million people living with HIV, grapples with a 30% prevalence among pregnant individuals. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage for pregnant individuals reached 97% in 2019, especially in the Western Cape with an HIV prevalence of 17.9% among antenatal individuals. Quality antenatal care (ANC) is crucial, with research showing a lower stillbirth rate for those receiving higher quality ANC. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 introduced new challenges, potentially influencing stillbirth rates through factors like lockdowns and limited healthcare access. Pregnant individuals contracting SARS-CoV-2 faced an increased likelihood of stillbirth. In this context, our cohort study in the Western Cape, South Africa, utilized routine health data to investigate the contemporary relationship between pregnant individuals with HIV and stillbirths in the era of universal ART during pregnancy. The study explores associations with demographic and clinical variables, including the quality of ANC. METHODS Utilizing data from the Western Cape Pregnancy Exposure Registry (PER) between 2017 and 2021, this cohort study focused on pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) at the Gugulethu Midwife Obstetrics Unit (GMOU) and Worcester Midwife Obstetrics Unit (WMOU) in South Africa. Integrated information from the Provincial Health Data Centre (PHDC) was used to create a linked database for cohort generation. The cohort included women aged 18 or older, with known HIV status and a …
author: Lubinda, Elizabeth
language: en
keywords: HIV, Stillbirths, Pregnancy
date published: 2025
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:23:07Z
provider: University of Cape Town
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Department of Public Health and Family Medicine

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41689