Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40719344›Full record

Trial reportJournal of the International AIDS Society2025

Impact of point-of-care maternal viral load testing at delivery on vertical HIV transmission risk assessment and neonatal prophylaxis: a cluster randomized trial.

Anange Fred Lwilla, Kira Elsbernd, Siriel Boniface, Raphael Edom, Arlete Mahumane, Bindiya Meggi, W Chris Buck, Joaquim Lequechane, Kassia Pereira, Nhamo Chiwerengo and 11 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of the International AIDS Society, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

21 authors.

Anange Fred LwillaMbeya Medical Research Center, National Institute for Medical Research, (NIMR), Mbeya, Tanzania.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8011-6948
Kira ElsberndInstitute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Siriel BonifaceMbeya Medical Research Center, National Institute for Medical Research, (NIMR), Mbeya, Tanzania.
Raphael EdomMbeya Medical Research Center, National Institute for Medical Research, (NIMR), Mbeya, Tanzania.
Arlete MahumaneInstituto Nacional de Saúde (INS), Maputo, Mozambique.
Bindiya MeggiInstituto Nacional de Saúde (INS), Maputo, Mozambique.
W Chris BuckDavid Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6304-2262
Joaquim LequechaneInstituto Nacional de Saúde (INS), Maputo, Mozambique.
Kassia PereiraInstituto Nacional de Saúde (INS), Maputo, Mozambique.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4379-2805
Nhamo ChiwerengoMbeya Medical Research Center, National Institute for Medical Research, (NIMR), Mbeya, Tanzania.
Falume ChaleInstituto Nacional de Saúde (INS), Maputo, Mozambique.
Chishamiso MudenyangaClinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Maputo, Mozambique.
Dadirayi MutsakaClinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Maputo, Mozambique.
Marianna MuellerInstitute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Nyanda E NtinginyaMbeya Medical Research Center, National Institute for Medical Research, (NIMR), Mbeya, Tanzania.
Nuno TaveiraInstituto Universitário Egas Moniz (IUEM), Lisbon, Portugal.
Michael HoelscherInstitute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Ilesh JaniInstituto Nacional de Saúde (INS), Maputo, Mozambique.
Arne KroidlInstitute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Issa SabiMbeya Medical Research Center, National Institute for Medical Research, (NIMR), Mbeya, Tanzania.
and the LIFE Study Consortium

Funding

Deutsches Zentrum für InfektionsforschungEuropean and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership RIA2016MC-1615the German Center for Infection Research TTU 04.708UNITAID UCPOC2B
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionDespite global reductions in vertical HIV transmission (VHT), 120,000 children newly acquired HIV in 2023. High maternal viral load (VL) is a major risk factor for VHT. We estimated the impact of point-of-care (PoC) maternal VL testing at delivery in profiling the risk of VHT and its impact on appropriate postnatal prophylaxis for infants born to women living with HIV (WLWH).

methodsThe cluster-randomized LIFE (Long term Impact on inFant hEalth) study was conducted at 28 health facilities in Tanzania and Mozambique from 2019 to 2021. At delivery, the intervention arm applied PoC maternal VL plus clinical criteria for VHT risk assessment, while the control arm used clinical criteria only. In Tanzania, both arms provided ePNP based on maternal risk factors, while Mozambique provided ePNP universally. We used mixed effects logistic regression to estimate the intervention effect on the proportion of infants at high risk (Tanzania and Mozambique) and infants at high risk receiving ePNP (Tanzania only).

resultsA total of 6467 WLWH were enrolled: 66.3% were diagnosed before the third trimester, 99% were on antiretroviral therapy and 78% were virally suppressed at delivery. Of 6564 newborns of WLWH included, 774 (11.7%) were identified to be at a high risk: 629 (19.3%) versus 145 (4.4%) in intervention and control arms, respectively; p<0.0001. In the intervention arm, 520 (82.7%) infants at high risk were classified only based on maternal PoC VL at delivery. In the control arm, 720 (21.8%) additional infants at high risk would have been identified if their mothers had received PoC VL assessment. In Tanzania, infants at high risk in the intervention arm were significantly more likely to receive ePNP: 59.5% versus 31.4% (OR 4.42, 95% CI: 1.09, 17.89). However, 40.5% from intervention arm and 68.6% from control arm did not receive ePNP despite high-risk classification at delivery.

conclusionsPoC maternal VL testing at delivery significantly increased the proportion of infants identified to be at high risk. Infants at high risk whose mothers received PoC VL at delivery were more often initiated on ePNP. However, the linkage of infants at high risk to appropriate prophylaxis remains suboptimal, warranting consideration of universal ePNP.

Indexed as

HIV InfectionsInfectious Disease Transmission, VerticalPoint-of-Care SystemsPoint-of-Care TestingPregnancy Complications, InfectiousViral LoadAdultAnti-HIV AgentsFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMozambiquePregnancyRisk AssessmentTanzaniaAnti-HIV AgentsHIV acquisitionsinfantnewbornpoint‐of‐care systemsrisk assessmentviral load

Identifiers

PMID40719344
PMCPMC12302277

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.