Male partner involvement in the prevention of mothe

Male partner involvement in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services reduced the risks of vertical transmission and infant mortality by more than 40% compared to no involvement according to Adam Aluisio and colleagues in a prospective cohort study undertaken between 1999 and 2005 in Nairobi, Kenya published in the January 1st 2011 edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.

Male involvement, the authors add, may be an underutilised public health intervention to address both infant HIV infection and mortality in resource-poor settings.

90% of the estimated 1,000 children infected daily with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa. Vertical transmission accounts for approximately 95% of infections in children.

Even though access to antiretrovirals for PMTCT has improved, much more remains to be done in resource-poor settings. Over one-third of HIV-infected pregnant women and half of their infants do not get any treatment.

Infant mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa are the highest in the world. HIV transmission, infant feeding practices as well as poverty contribute to this, note the authors. While there is evidence of diminishing vertical transmission rates, infant mortality remains high. Improved infant health outcomes necessitate addressing these public health problems together, they add.

Evidence shows that male involvement is associated with better use of PMTCT services. However, the authors note there is scant evidence of the link between male involvement and rates of vertical transmission or infant mortality.