Freedom Foundation

Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT)

Children constitute a large number of the overall population living with HIV. Preventing transmission of HIV from a pregnant mother to her child during pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding is an important prevention strategy. Freedom Foundation has been one of the first organizations in the civil society sector to set up an effective PMTCT intervention in the country. The two major initiatives by the Foundation function from Bangalore and Hyderabad. The Bangalore intervention, operated as a public/private partnership with Freedom Foundation liaising with Bruhath Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and city corporation maternity homes. From its conception in 2002, up to 2009 the programme successfully reached out to more than 1,35,000 women from 26 sites. Since 2009, there has been a successful transition of the programme to the City Corporation Maternity Homes. The foundation now is planning on PMTCT interventions in and around Bangalore in private sector hospitals much like the Hyderabad counterparts that function from 9 hospitals in Andhra Pradesh.

PMTCT at Bangalore:	Tel: +91 953 525 9009 (or) freedomblr@sify.com , pmtct.freedom@gmail.com
PMTCT at Hyderabad:	Tel: +91 40 27754461 / 27957368 (or) ffhyd_pmtct@rediffmail.com

Freedom Foundation offers the following services at Bangalore & Hyderabad:

To all pregnant women:

Voluntary counseling and testing
Information handbooks to all women
General health information dissemination

For HIV positive women:

Supportive counseling
Couple /Family counseling.
Nutritional counseling.
Prophylaxis for mother and baby.
Infant feeding counseling.
PCR testing.
PCP prophylaxis and other supplements
Follow up

Beyond PMTCT :

OI treatment. & Family planning.
Support group meetings & Savings program.
ART preparedness, education & medication

For the hospital:

Modular training for hospital staff.
Universal precautions- practices,
procedures & supply chain management

For the community:

Regular awareness programs.
Referrals & Networking.

Freedom Foundation is a registered charitable trust