INTRODUCTION• Chikankata Mission Hospital is a faith based

organisation run by the Salvation Army church

• It was founded in 1948.• The Hospital has 5 major operational areas;

namely: A hospital with a 200 bed capacity College of Biomedical Science – 140 students College of Nursing - 210 students Community Health, Research and Development

Programme HIV/AIDS Response Programme which was

established in 1986.

Maternal Child Health• An institutional section that deals with Pre-

Natal, Post-Natal, Neo-Natal and Family Planning services

• Currently over 3600 women of child bearing age are accessing services

• In addition, the section promotes PMTCT service

SPECIFIC PMTCT SERVICES

• Counselling and Testing

• Condom distribution

• Information, education and Communication

• Provision of ARVs

• Adherence counselling

• Nutritional supplementation

• Malaria and STI management

• Couple counselling

CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED WITH TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO PMTCT

• Varying level of knowledge between males and females of child bearing age

• Early pregnancies

• No defined male responsible partner to pregnancies

• Low turn up of women

• Poor involvement of male partners

• Myths and misconception surrounding PMTCT

MITIGATION STRATEGY • Overcoming the challenges required a

community driven and sustainable mechanism

• This demanded for community conversations involving different stakeholders

• Resulted into a consideration of a male involvement initiative

MALE INVOLVEMENT INITIATIVE

An intervention that seeks to promote the engagement and

support of male partners in the delivery of effective and efficient

PMTCT services

MALE INVOLVEMENT

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

• Respect for male partners

• Provision of service to couples

• Confidentiality

• Community involvement

• Empowerment

• Male motivation

KEY STEPSSTEP 1: Conscietisation of the female partner

STEP 2: Dialogue with local leaders

STEP 3: Conversations with the community

STEP 4: Conversation with males

STEP 5: Conversation with couples

STEP 6: Orientation of Health workers

STEP 7: Execution of the intervention

STEP 8: Review and Reflection

NEXT 8 SLIDE

Pictorial Representation of the 8 steps

SUCCESS SO FAR• Increase in number of couples who know

their HIV status

• Increase in number of couples on ARVs

• Community leaders are writing support letters for pregnant women with unidentified responsible males

• 1 trained male midwife

• Couples are impacting other couples’ behaviour

• Reduced number of infant HIV infection

FUTURE PROSPECTS• Address traditional and cultural factors that

prevent males to fully engage

• Further reinforce integration of PMTCT into family planning services

• Further promote male involvement in PMTCT which opens the avenues to access wider health services provision

• Develop a comprehensive training package in male involvement.