Barriers and facilitators to preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review

Women account for 59% of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection cases in sub-Saharan Africa. This impacts the increase in mother-to-child HIV transmission rates and presents challenges to preventive care for mother-to-child transmission. A scoping review of the scientific evidence was then developed to identify the barriers and facilitators faced by health professionals in providing services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of this virus in sub-Saharan Africa. The PubMed and CINAHL databases were accessed, and the keywords "barriers, facilitators, HIV, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, health professionals" and their synonyms were used. A total of 22 studies were included in the review, and common points between barriers and facilitators related to women, health professionals, and health services were identified. We understand that training healthcare professionals is necessary, and creating welcoming environments for users is crucial.