Abstract:
Ending vertical transmission of
HIV, or maternal-to-infant passage
of HIV during pregnancy,
labour, or postpartum, in sub-
Saharan Africa will require innovations
beyond current biomedical tools.
Available evidence indicates that involvement
of male partners in vertical transmission
prevention programmes is such
an innovation. Support from a male partner
is associated with enhanced maternal
HIV testing during pregnancy, increased
initiation and adherence to maternal
antiretroviral therapy, improved HIV communication
and prevention among couples,
and decreased vertical transmission, with
attendant increase in HIV-free infant survival.
