Mothers2mothers, Cape Town, South Africa
From the Global Women's Network
| Mothers2mothers, Cape Town, South Africa | |
|---|---|
| Street address: | 78 Darling Street
2nd Floor CCMA Building Cape Town, 8001 |
| City: | Cape Town |
| Country: | South Africa |
| Location: |
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| Location coordinates: | 33° 55' 38" S, 18° 25' 34" ELatitude: -33.92713 Longitude: 18.42607 |
| Contact number: | +27 21 466 9160 |
| Contact email: | info@m2m.org |
| Website: | http://www.m2m.org |
| Target: | Women |
| Organization type: | International NGO (operating in multiple countries) |
| Operates in the following countries: | Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia |
| Sectors: | Health, HIV/AIDS |
| Year founded/registered: | 2001 |
Summary
Mothers2mothers is an NGO that helps to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
About
Their mission is to help eradicate mother-to-child transmission of HIV through an effective, sustainable model of care that relies on trained local women who provide education and support for pregnant women and new mothers living with HIV.
Three main goals drive mothers2mothers’ work and are critical to achieving their mission:
- Preventing babies from contracting HIV through mother-to-child transmission
- Keeping mothers with HIV, and their babies, healthy
- Empowering mothers living with HIV, thereby enabling them to fight stigma in their communities and to live positive and productive lives
Activities
The m2m Model mothers2mothers offers an sustainable, scalable, and cost-effective solution to the challenge of providing PMTCT services in resource-limited settings. We do this by recruiting, training, and employing mothers living with HIV who have personally received PMTCT care. These women, Mentor Mothers, work side-by-side with doctors and nurses in health care facilities, and assume responsibility for ensuring that patients understand, accept, and adhere to interventions that are prescribed. m2m has introduced a new tier of paid, professionalized health care providers – drawn from, trained in and serving on behalf of local communities – closing gaps in health care delivery. This constitutes a paradigm shift in thinking about how effective health care services can be delivered.
The results are clear. Their experience demonstrates that, when mothers are involved in mentoring other HIV-positive women, both mothers and babies are more likely to receive and take their medication. In addition, they are more likely to undergo the tests to determine if they are eligible for life-sustaining anti-retroviral treatment and to get their babies tested for HIV. As peer educators, Mentor Mothers become role models in their communities, all while earning a salary and gaining valuable work experience. It is a model that both saves lives and empowers women.
Services</h5>
Mothers2mothers services are delivered by women living with HIV . These women mentor HIV-positive pregnant women and new mothers in health facilities. Mentor Mothers work side-by-side with doctors and nurses as paid members of the health care team, supporting and educating women on how to take care of themselves and their babies. Services provided by Mentor Mothers include:
- Provide education and support to pregnant women and new mothers living with HIV to increase access and adherence to lifesaving interventions for them and their infants
- Provide education to clients before and after they take their HIV tests during pregnancy
- Provide one-on-one peer education and group support sessions to pregnant women and new mothers with HIV
- Offer services to women together with their partners as a couple
