Healthcare planners and donors should give priority to efforts to improve levels of antenatal and obstetric care, and in areas where HIV is known or suspected to be prevalent, standards of care should include interventions and services for Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV. It should be emphasized that non-vertical approaches to maternal-child health, which address other causes of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality are considered most likely to have significant impact.

Consensus guidelines can be of great value in working to achieve new standards of care. These guidelines have been developed specifically for use in a pilot effort to develop PMTCT services in conjunction with a Safe Motherhood Initiative, which attempts to address other aspects of antenatal and obstetric care. The guidelines reflect international and regional standards of care, and are intended for use by health professionals and organizations, with the expectation that key information will be disseminated to communities and other stakeholders. The guidelines provide information about HIV and the prevention of vertical (MTCT) transmission, from the pregnancy through the perinatal period into lactation. The strategies involve provision of HIV education, testing and counselling, prophylactic drug therapy, modification of obstetric practices, and education for mothers and their partners about infant feeding and HIV transmission.