AEGiS-06IAC: AIDS interventions, public health and social factors in the sugar plantations of the Dominican Republic.

6th International AIDS Conference


San Francisco, California, USA — June 20-23, 1990

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AIDS interventions, public health and social factors in the sugar plantations of the Dominican Republic.

Int Conf AIDS 1990 Jun 20-23; 6:345 (abstract no. Th.D.877)
Kreniske J; HIV Center for Clinical & Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA

OBJECTIVE: To analyse short-term and long-term policies and strategies needed to prevent transmission of HIV infection in the sugar plantation communities of the Dominican Republic.

METHODS: Analysis is based on literature research, visits, on-site interviews with community workers and families, and with social scientists and epidemiologists.

RESULTS: Possibilities for intervention are limited by: 1. Poverty, that reduces the specter of AIDS into just one more burden to cope with, and a distant one at that; 2. A migratory labor system, that mixes groups with high seroprevalence rates and those with low ones, and separates the sexes for long periods; 3. The burden of other untreated chronic diseases, some of which may act as cofactors for AIDS, others which will certainly be adversely affected by HIV infection, and all of which compete for the sparse funds available for prevention and care. 4. Isolation and invisibility from mainstream government and epidemiologic view.

CONCLUSION: Limited educational and health policies cannot pay off, in the context of these larger problems. Interventions must confront issues of family support, daily subsistence, sanitation, infectious disease control.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Public Health, HIV Infections, Health Policy, Dominican Republic, Social Support, Poverty, Family, Delivery of Health Care, Sanitation, Seroepidemiologic Studies, nursing, ICA6KWDaegis,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,publichealth,hivinfections,healthpolicy,dominicanrepublic,socialsupport,poverty,family,deliveryofhealthcare,sanitation,seroepidemiologicstudies,nursing,ica6

900620
ThD877

Copyright © 1990 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.