Resources search

The essentials of antiretroviral therapy for health care and program managers

HOPE, Ruth
ISRAEL, Ellen
April 2007

Expand view

This book provides health care workers and mangers with information and practical guidance relating to antiretroviral therapies (ART). It also considers wider care and treatment issues such as; opportunistic infections, the integration of ART with antenatal and midwifery services, the particular needs of children and young people, support relating to nutrition, spiritual needs, psycho-social and economic issues. In addition, the need for community level support to help with adherence to treatment and address stigma and discrimination are also considered, as is end-of-life care for people whose disease does not respond to treatment

Behind the pandemic : uncovering the links between social inequity and HIV/AIDS

DE PAUW, Lia
2007

Expand view

This is an education toolkit which takes an exploratory and participatory approach to helping improve people's understanding about international HIV and AIDS issues and the links between HIV and AIDS and social inequity and poverty. There are three modules: Background and Basics, a Global HIV Pandemic Simulation, and Moving Into Action: Stopping the Pandemic. It also contains an extensive information section and instructions for leading the sessions

The HELP guide for community based rehabilitation workers : a training manual

LOVEDAY, Marion
2006

Expand view

This is a training manual for community based rehabilitation workers based upon physiotherapist's work on a rehabilitation project in Cape Town, South Africa. The manual is aimed at trainers of rehabilitation workers who are assumed to have adequate medical knowledge. The manual is divided into the following 4 main topics: health in the community; normal body functions; conditions and treatment; management of patients. Each section contains a summary of the learning aims for the rehabilitation workers, and the teaching is based mainly on a question and answer format
Note: originally published in 1990 by SACLA Health Project

HIV risk exposure in young children : a study of 2-9 year olds served by public health facilities in the Free State, South Africa

SHISANA, Olive
MEHTAR, Shaheen
2005

Expand view

South Africa has, until now, focused its HIV prevention efforts on youth and adults, and now needs to expand its focus to include children. Much is already known about mother to child transmission, which is the dominant mode of HIV transmission among children. However, little investigation has been done into the potential for horizontal transmission of HIV on the population below reproductive age. This report focuses on children aged 2-9 years and, using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, presents evidence on the potential for HIV transmission in dental, maternity and paediatric service in public health facilities. A new finding concerns the practice of shared breastfeeding

Global health watch 2005-2006 : an alternative world health report

LEMA, Claudia
et al
2005

Expand view

This report is the result of a collaboration of leading popular movements, NGOs, activists, academics and health workers. It provides an evidence-based analysis of the political economy of health and health care and challenges policies and initiatives of global organisations including the World Bank, the World Health Organization and UNICEF. Many key issues relevant to health are covered, including health care services and systems, health of vulnerable groups, climate change, food and water, education, armed conflicts. Part E also provides and assessment of the impact global institutions, transnational corporations and rich countries. This report is a call for action, directed to health workers and activists and national and international policy-makers

HIV and infant feeding : a compilation of programmatic evidence

KONIZ-BOOHER, Peggy
et al
July 2004

Expand view

This paper tries to deepen understandings of the biological and programmatic implications of the transmission of HIV through breastfeeding which have previously been hampered by insufficient study and difficulties of interpretation. It is a careful look at the findings of programmatic approaches. The project attempted to find, summarise and analyse reports on a wide variety of relevant programmes conducted since 1998 UNICEF guidelines were issued. The programmes range from small community research projects to national programmes. The compilation addresses numerous controversial topics and constraints, including human resources, confused mothers, stigma and discrimination, spillover of replacement feeding, free or subsidised infant formula, family economics and the difficulty in providing integrated HIV testing, informed choice counselling, community support, logistics and follow-up care for mothers and infants

Rethinking conceptual approaches to behaviour change : the importance of context

PARKER, Warren
April 2004

Expand view

This concise article critically reviews the concept of behaviour change as it has been applied to individual behaviour in relation to HIV/AIDS. It notes the limits of cognitive approaches to behaviour change when applied within complex contexts and variations of risk to HIV infection. With regard to communication there is a need to move beyond top-down approaches and to incorporate horizontal and participatory approaches. These include recognising and resourcing the role of civil society responses to HIV/AIDS

National household HIV prevalence and risk survey of South African children

BROOKS, Heather
SHISANA, Olive
RICHTER, Linda
2004

Expand view

This valuable new report looks at the levels of infection of HIV and AIDS, the levels of orphaning and child headed households, sexual debut and sexual experiences and risk factors and risk environments for children aged 2-14 in South Africa. This has been investigated as the HSRC recognizes that there is very little known about HIV prevalence rates among children or about the risk factors that predispose them to becoming infected. The study looks at the social and community risk factors that predispose children to HIV infection as well as the impact of the epidemic on children in terms of orphan status and child headed households. It examines children’s knowledge of HIV and AIDS prevention, their knowledge about sexual behaviour and HIV as well as their own patterns of sexual behaviour and changes in that behaviour. This study is interesting as it explicitly includes young children

Disability and HIV & AIDS : a participatory rapid assessment of the vulnerability, impact and coping mechanisms of the disabled people on HIV/AIDS

NGANZI, Patrick
MATONHODZE, George
2004

Expand view

This study assesses the vulnerability, impact and coping mechanisms of disabled people on HIV and AIDS, and suggests strategies for developing an HIV and AIDS programme for disabled people’s organisations. Using participatory methodologies of inquiry, the study found that disabled people perceive themselves to be at higher risk of HIV infection due to their disability, regardless of their awareness levels. Their social exclusion from the mainstream HIV/AIDS services makes the situation worse. The study revealed that the many myths and misconceptions around HIV and disability increase the vulnerability of disabled people to HIV/AIDS, such as the belief that sex with a disabled person cleanses a person of HIV/AIDS. It also revealed that disabled people have limited access to HIV/AIDS information and limited use of HIV/AIDS services mainly because of the nature of their disability, the location of the facilities and the attitudes of service providers. In conclusion, the study revealed that disabled people are at a higher risk of infection by sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS due to their exclusion from mainstream HIV interventions. This situation is further exacerbated by the lack of policy framework on disability and HIV and AIDS

Antiretroviral drugs for treating pregnant women and preventing HIV infection in infants : guidelines on care, treatment and support for women living with HIV/AIDS and their children in resource-constrained settings

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO)
2004

Expand view

Mother to child transmission is the most common cause of HIV infection in children. These guidelines provide updated information on WHO issued recommendations on the use of antiretroviral drugs for preventing mother to child transmission of HIV. These reassessments are within the context of rapidly expanding treatment programmes using simplified and standardised regimens. There has been experienced gained from treatment of mother to child transmission of HIV in resource poor settings as well as further evidence on the safety and effectiveness of various antiretroviral regimens. This document addresses issues of efficacy, safety, drug resistance and feasibility and intends to guide the selection of antiretroviral regimens. They may also be useful for health service providers as specific recommendations are provided for the most frequently encountered clinical situations

Assessing the costs of a rural PMTCT pilot site in the Eastern Cape

DESMOND, Chris
BOYCE, Gerard
Eds
2004

Expand view

Mother to child transmission is by far the largest source of HIV infection in children below the age of 15. Prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) programmes have been implemented nationally in South Africa since 2000. This report presents the results of research conducted at a pilot site in the Eastern Cape into the use of resources associated with the implementation of a PMTCT programme. It is part of a larger research project that seeks to examine and compare the costs of providing nevirapine and AZT in both urban and rural contexts. It is hoped that this study will contribute to the national programme of monitoring and evaluating the costs and effectiveness of PMTCT interventions in South Africa

HIV-infected women and their families : psychosocial support and related issues. A literature review

LINDSEY, Elizabeth
2003

Expand view

This review looks at global literature from academic institutions and UN agencies on psychosocial support and counselling, to HIV infected pregnant women and their families (from pre-conception to 2 years old). It also contains information about the efficacy of practices and projects that care for infected women and their families, especially methods used in relation to mother-to-child transmission during the perinatal period. There are also interesting examples of such projects from around the world. The final section of the review makes recommendations on psychosocial support and counselling for HIV infected women and families

AIDS in China : an annotated chronology 1985-2003

SETTLE, Edmund
2003

Expand view

This publication compiles Chinese and international open source information since China's first reported AIDS case in 1985. The objective of the report is to increase overall awareness and provide a historical foundation to China's HIV crisis among policy makers, international organisations, professional stakeholders and the general population

HIV and infant feeding : guidelines for decision-makers

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND (UNICEF)
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
JOINT UNITED NATIONS PROGRAMME ON HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND (UNFPA)
2003

Expand view

Contents: 1. Overview 2. Protecting, promoting and supporting appropriate feeding practices for infants and young children in the context of HIV 3. Supporting HIV-positive women in their infant-feeding decisions 4. Monitoring and evaluation

Criminal law, public health and HIV transmission : a policy options paper

JOINT UNITED NATIONS PROGRAMME ON HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
June 2002

Expand view

A number of cases have been reported in which people living with HIV have been criminally charged for a variety of acts that transmit HIV or risk transmission. To assist in the development of sound public policy, this paper proposes principles to guide thinking about, and development of, law and policy on this issue; identifies a number of policy considerations; considers alternatives to criminalisation presented by public health laws; and discusses how the criminal law might be justifiably applied

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Asia : a practical guidance for programs

PREBLE, Elizabeth A
PIWOZ, Ellen G
June 2002

Expand view

This paper focuses on mother to child transmission of HIV in the five most affected countries in Asia -- Cambodia, China, India, Myanmar, and Thailand. The technical background and lessons learned, however, are relevant for the rest of the region. It discusses risk factors, issues of diagnosis and treatment of pediatric AIDS and experiences of prevention in Asia and elsewhere. In particular it looks at issues of: comprehensive maternal and child health (MCH) services; voluntary counselling and testing (VCT); antiretroviral (ARV) prophylaxis; counselling and support for safe infant feeding; optimal obstetric practices. This document is intended as a technical resource and a basis for discussion and it is aimed at governments, NGOs and other stakeholders working in HIV prevention in Asia

Pages

E-bulletin