An FP6 INCO-DEV European Commission funded project aiming to assess health system consequences of the rapid scale-up of HIV treatment programs, focusing on maternal and child health outcomes related to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5, in three Sub-Saharan African countries: Tanzania, Uganda and Burkina Faso.

Project partners: Karolinska Institutet (coordinator), Makerere University School of Public Health (Uganda), Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Switzerland), Ifakara Health Institute (Tanzania), Institute of Tropical Medicine, (Belgium), University of Heidelberg (Germany), and Nouna Health Research Centre (CRSN) (Burkina Faso).

The research was carried out in three Health and Demographic Surveillance Sites (HDSSs): Iganga-Mayuge DSS (Uganda), Nouna DSS (Burkina Faso) and Rufiji DSS (Tanzania).  

An HDSS collects information on key demographic and health events including: pregnancies, births, deaths, causes of death, migration, health seeking; health care access, socio-economic status and equity in areas where population statistics normally are scarce or non-existent (www.indepth-network.org).

Research areas explored under ARVMAC

1. Implementation and integration of national policies on anti-retroviral treatment (ART) and maternal and child health (MCH).
2. Effects of large scale ART on human resources (i.e. availability, required skills/level of training, and distribution).
3. Performance capacity and quality of MCH and HIV related health services.
4. Equity, accessibility and coverage of MCH and ART programs.
5. Impact of ART programs on maternal and child morbidity and mortality including the burden of HIV and AIDS.