Harare, 7 May 2010-(The Herald)

"Paya makazvisenga; paya mimba yorwadza; mosununguka munogona kupomera mwana utachiwana; chimbidzai kuenda kuchipatara; kurwara, maronda haaperi; rushiye kureruka, chimbidzai kuenda kuchipatara."

This is the message being disseminated to pregnant women by a group of men in Msume Village under Chief Mataga in Mberengwa.

In complementing Government’s prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV programme, the group called Mberengwa Male Champions encourages pregnant women and their partners to get tested for the virus.

Group member Mr Sikhulile Mhere said they do home visits, educating couples on the importance of getting tested to protect their families. "Since traditionally the man is the head of the house, sometimes we consider dialogue with men first before involving their wives," Mr Mhere said.

"In the past, there was so much un-co-operativeness from men but they are now accustomed to the programme to the extent that most of them approach us instead of us going to them."

Mrs Otilia and Mr Nhamoinesu Gumbo — who were persuaded by the Male Champions to undergo HIV testing — said they had benefited from other useful health information. The couple’s child is now five months old and in compliance with HIV and Aids testing policies, she will get tested for the first time at the age of one. Administration of Nevirapine reduces HIV transmission from a mother to her child by 60 percent. Mr Admire Changara, a programme officer with Batsiranai Home Based Care — which is running the Male Champions programme — said they wanted to increase men’s participation in HIV prevention, care and support.

Male Champions is made up of 30 people, most of whom are HIV positive men though there are some female members. Unicef is also supporting the initiative.

Mr Changara said research showed men were key drivers of HIV transmission. "When Male Champions was formed, the focus was on social change where both men and women participate in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. "Many women expressed concern that their husbands were difficult to convince to get tested with their pregnant wives," Mr Changara said.

Mother-to-child transmission is the second major mode of HIV transmission in Zimbabwe after heterosexual sex.