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Objectives  To assess the availability of equipment and the staff’s knowledge to prevent Mother‐To‐Child Transmission (PMTCT) in rural healthcare facilities recently covered by the national PMTCT programme in Cameroon.

Methods  In eight districts inventories of antiviral drugs and HIV test kits were made on site, using a standardised check‐list. Knowledge of HIV and PMTCT was evaluated with a multiple‐choice (MC) questionnaire based on typical clinical PMTCT cases. Staff participated subsequently in a 2‐day training on HIV/AIDS and the Cameroon PMTCT guidelines. Immediately after training and after 7 months, retention of knowledge was tested with the same questions but in different order and layout.

Results  Sixty two peripheral nurse‐led clinics and the eight district hospitals were assessed. Whereas all district hospitals presented complete equipment, only six of the peripheral clinics (10%) were …