New HIV Programme Targets Men. 14/3/11

Program encourages male partners' involvement in the antenatal care and access to PMTCT services before, during and after pregnancy.

Health-e

Windhoek — President Hifikepunye Pohamba last Thursday launched the male involvement campaign in the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, a brainchild of the first lady, Madam Penehupifo Pohamba.

The national campaign over a period of ten months encourages male partners' involvement in the antenatal care and access to PMTCT services before, during and after pregnancy.

The goal of the PMTCT programme is to enable zero percent transmission of mother-to-child transmission by 2015.

President Pohamba stated that as part of strengthening the national health care systems, Government aims to deliver a comprehensive package of essential services for quality maternal, newborn and child health care.

More than 90% of pregnant women are attending antenatal care and accessing PMTCT services.

HIV transmission from mothers to newborn babies has reduced significantly by close to 50% in just two years from 13.4% in 2006-2007, to 7.0% in 2008-2009, an indication that almost one in every two parents in Namibia who start PMTCT services early and adheres to treatment and leads a healthy lifestyle can give birth to an HIV-free baby.

"We are working to ensure adequate linkages and collaboration between PMTCT services vis-à-vis community and home-based care, as well as support groups, of people living with HIV/AIDS," Pohamba stated.

He added that the promotion of PMTCT is one of the strategies the country has adopted to combat the HIV pandemic. Resources have been allocated to implement programmes and provide PMCT services to all that need them, said the president.

Said Pohamba: "Government is continuing to provide antiretroviral treatment and voluntary counselling and testing services, as part of the National Policy on HIV/AIDS."

A joint statement by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), which was read by the WHO Country Representative, Dr Magda Robalo, said the campaign would address one vital gap in the PMTCT response - engaging and involving men.

Robalo remarked that without Namibian men fully engaged and committed towards ensuring the health of their partners and unborn babies or newborn babies, the dream of an HIV-free generation in Namibia would never be realised.

She said PMTCT serves as a key entry point for prevention, treatment, care and support services for the whole family.

It demonstrates the benefits of tearing down the barriers that separate the Millennium Development Goals from one another and building bridges to join them - accelerating progress on HIV, health, development and human rights across the development spectrum, Robalo said.

She went on to say that the PMTCT approach has focused primarily on HIV testing and counselling, and provision of ARVs for PMTCT.

In order to achieve the new goal of virtual elimination, it would require full implementation of a comprehensive approach to PMTCT.

According to the new WHO guidelines, this has four main elements - preventing HIV infection amongst women of child-bearing age, preventing unintended pregnancies among women who are HIV-positive, prevention of the transmission of HIV from HIV-positive women to their infants and the provision of appropriate treatment, care and support to HIV-positive women and their children and families.

"We, in the United Nations system, are extremely excited about the potential of this campaign and congratulate the first lady for taking this initiative," Robalo said.

Additionally, Pohamba expressed concern at revelations by the 2010 Sentinel Sero Survey that indicates that HIV prevalence among pregnant women attending antenatal care rose to 18. 8% compared to 17.8% in 2008.

"This statistic should motivate us to work harder in order to halt the epidemic," Pohamba said. Similarly, efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 should be intensified, specifically goal number four, which addresses the reduction of death amongst children, as well as goal number five, which focuses on the reduction of deaths of mothers, Pohamba said.

The event was held at the Katutura hospital and was well attended by people from the health sector, stakeholders of the Ministry of Health and Social Services, some ministers and the general public.