AFRICA: Men crucial in prevention of MTCT

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programmes need to involve men in care and support services, a study has found.

Researchers discovered that men could act as barriers, preventing their partners from participating in PMTCT programmes. Some of the women who refused PMTCT services said they feared the disapproval of their male partners.

The governments of Kenya and Zambia are testing comprehensive packages of MTCT prevention services in antenatal clinics. In Kenya, the US-based Population Council's Horizons Research Project is implementing the study with the ministry of health, UNICEF and the World Health Organisation (WHO). In Zambia, a government-appointed MTCT working group is also collaborating with Horizons.

"Men clearly play a critical role in supporting women to take advantage of the package of PMTCT services," the report said. Initial findings had shown small groups of supportive and hostile male partners, yet there was a large group of indifferent men who still needed to be targeted.

Reaching these men beyond the antenatal clinic setting, and bringing them in so they could benefit from the programmes' services, remained a challenge for most PMTCT projects, the study found.

Researchers focused on the reasons women used - or did not use - the services, and whether the interventions decreased the rate of MTCT of HIV/AIDS.

According to initial results of the study, counseling services also played a key role in PMTCT initiatives. However, staff in both countries found counseling to be time consuming as there was a severe shortage of trained counsellors. So far, more than 500 staff in Kenya and Zambia have been trained in counseling techniques. The quality of these services is yet to be assessed.

Community outreach efforts needed to be strengthened as HIV positive women received little support and assistance from their communities, the study said.

For more information:
http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/horizons/rs/re_mtctc.pdf

Theme (s): Care/Treatment - PlusNews, Other,

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]