AEGiS-14IAC: Community based health care approach to HIV in rural areas.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

Community based health care approach to HIV in rural areas.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. F11777)

Kalia A
President-Child Survival India, New Delhi, India

ISSUE: Large number of rural people are suspected to be infected with HIV in future, their numbers running into millions. It is proposed to see the issue of reducing morbidity and mortality as-a)Risk assessment, diagnosis, therapeutics care and support and counselling b)Integrating HIV care with Reproductive and child health and mental health programs.

DESCRIPTION: The prevalence /incidence ratio differs in all segments of population. One group of persons known to have higher prevalence of HIV is those who are Immuno compromised(IC),suffer from multi-drug resistant tuberculosis or Diabetes, have high steroid intake or use drugs.

ISSUES: IC patients have a greater risk of being infected by HIV.An all high risk approach in exposed population is necessary.HIV is the strongest known risk factor in this progression of latent TB to active TB. Patients with latent TB who become co-infected with HIV have approximately 8 -10 % risk per year for developing active TB.1HIV infected persons who are already severely IC and become newly infected with TB have an even greater risk for developing active TB. Delayed diagnosis, delayed recognition of co-existing diseases, delayed recognition of drug resistance and delayed initiation of therapy also contribute to HIV infection and increased mortality. HIV should not be seen in isolation.

RECOMMENDATIONS: The wide-ranging strategy for HIV care in the rural areas is thus proposed to highlight the risk assessment,developing protocol to ensure early identification, diagnostic evaluation and effective treatment of HIV patients with co-existing diseases and developing a cluster control plan. Thus there is an urgent requirement, atleast in the rural areas to promote a comprehensive health care approach to prevention and control of HIV by initially decentralising HIV specific approach through community health centres and later linking it to HIV specific stations.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV Infections, Prevalence, Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant, Incidence, HIV Seropositivity, Delivery of Health Care, Risk Factors, Greece, Child, Human, Mortality

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