CMMB, Catholic Medical Mission Board, Healthcare Programs: Mentor Mothers

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CMMB Healthcare: Mentor Mothers

What We Do > Healthcare Programs > Mentor Mothers

Mentor Mothers - Kiambu Central Province

The Mentor Mothers’ m2m program is a jointly-managed community-based PMTCT support program in government, faith-based and private facilities in four provinces (Nairobi, Central, Western and Nyanza).

The program employs Mentor Mothers to empower HIV-positive pregnant women to address issues of disclosure, discordance in couples, stigma within families and treatment adherence throughout and after their pregnancy. Mentor Mothers also encourage pregnant women to identify children in households for counseling and testing within the community.

In FY 2009 Mentor Mothers:

Served clients directly in 50 sites and communities through 125 mentor mothers and staff.
Worked with 120,229 new pregnant women and 93,621 ongoing/returning clients.
Followed 3,340 HIV-positive pregnant women, ensuring the receive ARV treatment and support during birth.

The Mentor Mothers are community members themselves: They have received PMTCT services and are trained to reach newly-initiated clients in PMTCT programs. The empathy and experience they bring encourages new PMTCT clients to “live positively” by example. They also tackle topics and provide support that facility-based PMTCT services can’t, including support on HIV testing during pregnancy, infant feeding decisions, adherence to antiretroviral medicines and family planning. Outcomes of the program include:

Increased PMTCT uptake and VCT by family members.
Increased access to PCR early infant testing.
Greater awareness of reproductive health options available.
Stronger adherence and follow-up on PTMCT medicines.
Empowered Mentor Mothers through meaningful employment.
Increased capacity within communities to fight HIV/AIDS.

CMMB Healthcare Programs

AIDSRelief - HIV treatment programs
Born to Live - Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV
Choose to Care - Hospice and orphan care
Responding to AIDS in China and India - Training and educational programs
Accion por la Salud Familiar - Community programs for family health
Back to Haiti - Primary healthcare programs
Men Taking Action - Program in Zambia to address male attitudes and practices that negatively affect women attending antenatal clinics and accessing PMTCT services
Healing Help - Medical shipments