Increasing Male Partner Engagement in Elimination of Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV (eMTCT) in Uganda: Case Study of Mbale Regional Referral Hospital Poster

At the International Forum that took place in Gothenburg, Sweden on April 12-15, 2016, the poster "Increasing Male Partner Engagement in Elimination of Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV (eMTCT) in Uganda: Case Study of Mbale Regional Referral Hospital" was presented.

In Uganda, the eMTCT program follows the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines which emphasize a male partner’s involvement in the maternal process (WHO 2010). In practice, this means that pregnant women are encouraged to invite their partners to counseling and testing for HIV during pregnancy.

It was concluded that male partner involvement in antenatal and eMTCT services requires a change of mindset and attitude of healthcare providers. Men are more likely to return to facility if they feel they are being treated well and have an active role in health care decisions. Disclosure of HIV status to the partner becomes easy when the couple tests together.