Economic Strengthening Interventions to Address Known Barriers to PMTCT and Improve Health Outcomes: What Do We Know and What Are the Knowledge Gaps?

This brief provides an overview of the key findings from a literature review conducted by the Accelerating Strategies for Practical Innovation & Research in Economic Strengthening (ASPIRES) project, implemented by FHI 360 with funding from PEPFAR and USAID. The review considered evidence on economic barriers to PMTCT and examined available evidence on the effects of economic strengthening (ES) interventions applied within PMTCT settings and other relevant services, such as antenatal care (ANC), antiretroviral therapy (ART), or HIV counseling and testing services. While all these services are available as stand-alone, they are also integral elements of the PMTCT cascade, thus the outcomes of ES interventions offered within these services may be applicable to PMTCT at least to some degree. Identifying ES interventions that positively affect all or any of the steps of the PMTCT cascade can strengthen PMTCT programs, contributing to better health outcomes and further reduction in HIV transmission from mother to child. At the same time, identifying evidence gaps helps to inform future research in the area of ES and PMTCT.