AEGiS-09IAC: Assessing the world's vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.

9th International AIDS Conference


Berlin, Germany — June 6-11, 1993

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Assessing the world's vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS 1993 Jun 6-11; 9:131 (abstract no. WS-D28-6)
Tarantola D, Mann J, O'Malley J; Global AIDS Policy Coalition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the vulnerability of nations in the world to HIV/AIDS.

METHOD: National (collective) vulnerability to future spread of HIV can be pragmatically assessed by considering (1) the individual factors which influence the risk of acquiring HIV infection or of being deprived from adequate care and support, should infection occur; (2) the nature and quality of HIV/AIDS programs; and (3) the broad societal factors that increase, sustain, or reduce personal empowerment. Three sets of criteria (Vulnerability Indexes) were thus developed: the first, in the form of a self-administered questionnaire, is intended to determine personal vulnerability; the second to evaluate the strength of collective efforts to prevent and control HIV/AIDS; the third to evaluate the degree of societal vulnerability to the pandemic. The application of the societal Vulnerability Index alone led to the identification of countries most at risk.

RESULTS: Through this analysis, fifty-seven countries at high risk of HIV spread-including countries that have thus far escaped the brunt of the epidemic, such as Indonesia, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria. An additional thirty-nine countries at substantial risk include eleven Latin American countries, eight from the South East Mediterranean, seven from Asia- including China, four in the Caribbean, and nine in other regions. Further findings will be presented on the application of the vulnerability index to communities whose level of risk differs significantly from the national, aggregate level. By proposing a new analytical framework, the proposed indexes underscore elements of remedial action needed to curb the course of the pandemic and mitigate its impact.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Infections, Sjogren's Syndrome, Sezary Syndrome, Disease Outbreaks, Risk, Asia, Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, Mediterranean Sea, Indonesia, Egypt, Nigeria, Caribbean Region, ICA9KWDaegis,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,hivinfections,sjogren'ssyndrome,sezarysyndrome,diseaseoutbreaks,risk,asia,bangladesh,china,pakistan,mediterraneansea,indonesia,egypt,nigeria,caribbeanregion,ica9
930606
WSD286

Copyright © 1993 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.