the aid library

Missed Opportunities for Early Access to Care of HIV-Infected Infants in Burkina Faso

Coulibaly M., N. Meda, C. Yonaba et al. PLOS ONE (2014) C2

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended a universal antiretroviral therapy (ART) for all HIVinfected children before the age of two since 2010, but this implies an early identification of these infants. We described the Prevention of Mot... more

Task Shifting for Scale-up of HIV Care: Evaluation of Nurse-Centered Antiretroviral Treatment at Rural Health Centers in Rwanda

Shumbusho, F., van Griensven, J., Lowrance, D., Turate, I., Weaver, M.A., et al. PLoS Medicine (2009) CC

The shortage of human resources for health, and in particular physicians, is one of the major barriers to achieve universal ... to HIV care and treatment. In September 2005, a pilot program of nurse-centered antiretroviral treatment (ART) prescription was launched in three rural primary health centers in Rwanda. We retrospectively evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of this task-shifting model using descriptive data. more

Ensuring quality health care by reducing HIV-related stigma and discrimination

World Health Organization WHO (2024) C_WHO

Providing quality, stigma-free services is essential to equitable health care for all and achieving global ... goals and broader Sustainable Development Goals related to health. Every person has the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. Countries have a legal obligation to develop and implement legislation and policies that guarantee universal access to quality health services and address the root causes of health disparities, including poverty, stigma and discrimination. The health sector is uniquely placed to lead in addressing inequity, assuring safe personcentred care for everyone and improving social determinants of health by overcoming taboos and discriminatory or stigmatizing behaviours associated with HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Improving health care quality and reducing stigma work together to enhance health outcomes for people living with HIV. Together, they make health care services more accessible, trustworthy and supportive. This encourages early diagnosis, consistent treatment and improved mental well-being. Thus, people living with HIV are more likely to engage with and benefit from health care services, leading to improved overall health. more

Plan of Action for Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control 2018-2030

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) (2018) C_WHO

This Plan envisions a future with the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem as a result of universal access to sexual health ... STI prevention services, HPV vaccines, effective screening and precancer treatment services, treatment of invasive cervical cancer, and palliative care. It foresees that all women and girls, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, HIV status, or disability will have timely access to quality cervical cancer prevention, care, and treatment so that they can live in good health throughout the life course and enjoy the health-related human rights. The goal is to accelerate progress toward the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem in the Americas by reducing incidence and mortality rates by one-third by 2030. more

Community-facility Linkages to Support the Scale up of Lifelong Treatment for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women Living with HIV: A Conceptual Framework, Compendium of Promising Practices and Key Operat

Ackerman Gulaid, Laurie United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) (2015)

Rwanda HIV and AIDS National Strategic Plan (July 2013 - June 2018)

Ministry of Health, Rwanda & Rwanda Biomedical Centre (2013) C2

During the implementation of the National Strategic Plan 2009–2012 on HIV and AIDS, Rwanda has continued its progress towards universal ... to HIV and AIDS services. The new HIV and AIDS National Strategic Plan July 2013–June 2018 (thereafter referred to as ‘the NSP’) presented here is set on pursuing the same objective, with inspiration from the global targets of “zero new HIV infections, zero HIV-related deaths and zero stigma and discrimination due to HIV”. more

Walking in our shoes: Perspectives of pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV on access to and retention in care in Malawi, Uganda and Zambia

Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW) et al. (2017) C1

The study sought to understand the factors that facilitate women to adhere to treatment ... return to health facilities for routine care from their own perspective. The researchers focused on Malawi, Uganda and Zambia, early adopters of the global guidance to provide lifelong treatment for pregnant women living with HIV (Option B+) and spoke to women living with HIV, healthcare workers and programme managers to discover which factors and practices show promise in supporting women to initiate and remain in care.
This study found that women living with HIV who access these services to prevent vertical transmission have a strong sense and understanding of what factors support their retention and how health facilities, the wider community and their friends and relations can best support them. This report shares their words to describe how it feels to walk in their shoes on the path of life long treatment. more

An analysis of the services provided by community health workers within an urban district in South Africa: a key contribution towards universal access to care

Thomas, L.S., E. Buch and Y. Pillay Human Resources for Health (2021) C1

Community health worker teams are potential game-changers in ensuring access to care in vulnerable communities. Who are they? What do they actually... more

National Comprehensive HIV Prevention, Care, and Treatment Training for Pharmacy Professionals. Participant Manual

Ministry of Health, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Ministry of Health, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (2018) CC

In line with its decentralization principle, the Ethiopian Health Policy has achieved great progress in improving access to comprehensive .../AIDS services to the majority of the population. Both quality and coverage of services have improved significantlysince the initiation of the free ART program in 2005. The role of health workforce in general and that of pharmacy professionals assumes a central position in these achievements. To further enhance accessibility and quality of services, capacity buildingof health cadres is critical. Therefore, this comprehensive HIV prevention, care and treatment training material is prepared with the primarily intention to build the capacity of pharmacy professionals at all levels so that they can contribute to the provision of HIV services. more

National Review of Community Home Based Care and Access to Treatment Services in Zimbabwe

Neddy Matshalaga National AIDS Council, Zimbabwe; WHO; UNIFEM; UNICEF (2006) C1

State of inequality: HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

World Health Organization WHO; Global Fund (2021) C_WHO

The World Health Organization and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria are part of a group of agencies working together ... accelerate progress towards the health-related SDGs through the Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All. Understanding patterns of inequalities in these diseases is essential for taking strategic, evidence-informed action to realize our shared vision of ending the epidemics of HIV, TB and malaria. This report presents the first comprehensive analysis of the magnitude and patterns of socioeconomic, demographic and geographic inequalities in disease burden and access to services for prevention and treatment. The results confirm there have been improvements in service coverage and decreased disease burden at the national level over the past decade. But they also reveal an uncomfortable reality: unfair inequalities between population subgroups within countries are widespread and have remained largely unchanged over the past decade. For some disease indicators, inequalities are even worsening. Moreover, the report points to the persistent lack of available data to fully understand inequality patterns in HIV, TB and malaria. Collecting data to improve the monitoring of inequalities in these diseases is vital to develop targeted responses for impact. There are, encouragingly, isolated successes in reducing inequities. Change is possible when deliberate action is taken to reach disadvantaged populations. more

WHO guideline for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis in HIV co-infected patients in East Africa and South-East Asia

World Health Organzation WHO WHO Neglected Tropical Diseases Department (2022) C_WHO

The leishmaniases are a group of diseases caused by Leishmania spp., which occur in cutaneous, mucocutaneous and visceral forms. They are neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which disproportionately affect marginalized populations who have limited <... to health care. HIV co-infected patients with Leishmania infection are highly infectious to sandflies, and an increase in the coinfection rate in an endemic area is likely to increase the effective infective reservoir. more

Retention and mortality outcomes from a community-supported public–private HIV treatment programme in Myanmar

Mburu, Gitau; Aung Zayar Paing; Nwe Ni Myint et al. (2016) CC

Journal of the International AIDS Society 2016, 19:20926
There is a growing interest in the potential contribution the private sector can make towards increasing access to antiretroviral therap... more

Outcomes of Universal Access to Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in Georgia

T. Tsertsvadze; N. Chkhartishvili; L. Sharvadze; et al. Hindawi Publishing Corporation AIDS Research and Treatment (2011) C2

Research Article Hindawi Publishing Corporation AIDS Research and Treatment Volume 2011, Article ID 621078, 7 pages doi:10.1155/2011/621078

A Review of Community Health Worker (CHW) knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to the sexual health of MSM, including existing training materials and manuals in Europe & neighbouring countries

C. Folch; P. Fernández-Dávila; J. Palacio-Vieira; et al. European Commission; Centre d'Estudis Epidemiològics sobre les Infeccions de Transmissió Sexual i Sida de Catalunya (CEEISCAT); European AIDS Treatment Group (2020) C2

Accessed: 07.03.2020 A Review of Community Health Worker (CHW) knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to the sexual health of MSM, including existing training materials ... manuals in Europe and neighbouring countries (D5.1) Contract 2015 71 01 A behavioural survey for HIV/AIDS and associated infections and a survey and tailored training for community based health workers to facilitate access and improve the quality of prevention, diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, STI and viral hepatitis and health care services for men who have sex with men (MSM). Pubic Health more

Implementation Framework & Clinical Guidance for Viral Hepatitis Prevention & Treatment 2019

Ministry of Health, Zambia (2020) CC

The Zambia Population Based HIV impact assessment of 2016, reported the prevalence of viral hepatitis in Zambia as ranging between 5.6% among adults aged 15 to 59% in the general population, ... 7.1% among HIV infected individuals. It is estimated that the majority of persons with chronic hepatitis B and/ or hepatitis C are unware of their infection and do not benefit from promotive, preventive and curative services designed to reduce onward transmission. Zambia introduced hepatitis B virus vaccine to the routine Under 5 vaccination schedule in 2005. Preliminary results from the ZAMPHIA indicate that hundreds of infections have been abated in children since then. However, its also clear that we continue to miss key opportunities to prevent transmission, diagnose and treat infections, prevent serious disease, and in many cases cure people. In addition, high risk groups inter alia health care workers still have limited access to the vaccine. more

Screening for cardiovascular disease risk and subsequent management in low and middle income countries: challenges and opportunities

Bovet, P.; Chiolero, A.; Paccaud, F. et al. Public Health Reviews (2015) CC

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD), mainly heart attack and stroke, is the leading cause of premature mortality in low and middle income countries (LMICs). Identifying ... managing individuals at high risk of CVD is an important strategy to prevent and control CVD, in addition to multisectoral population-based interventions to reduce CVD risk factors in the entire population. Methods: We describe key public health considerations in identifying and managing individuals at high risk of CVD in LMICs. Results: A main objective of any strategy to identify individuals at high CVD risk is to maximize the number of CVD events averted while minimizing the numbers of individuals needing treatment. Scores estimating the total risk of CVD (e.g. ten-year risk of fatal and non-fatal CVD) are available for LMICs, and are based on the main CVD risk factors (history of CVD, age, sex, tobacco use, blood pressure, blood cholesterol and diabetes status). Opportunistic screening of CVD risk factors enables identification of persons with high CVD risk, but this strategy can be widely applied in low resource settings only if cost effective interventions are used (e.g. the WHO Package of Essential NCD interventions for primary health care in low resource settings package) and if treatment (generally for years) can be sustained, including continued availability ofaffordable medications and funding mechanisms that allow people to purchase medications without impoverishing them (e.g. universal access to health care). Thisalso emphasises the need to re-orient health systems in LMICs towards chronic diseases management. Conclusion: The large burden of CVD in LMICs and the fact that persons with high CVD can be identified and managed along cost-effective interventions mean that health systems need to be structured in a way that encourages patient registration, opportunistic screening of CVD risk factors, efficient procedures for the management of chronic conditions (e.g. task sharing) and provision of affordable treatment for those with high CVD risk. The focus needs to be in primary care because that is where most of the population can access health care and because CVD programmes can be run effectively at this level. more

Task-shifting to improve asthma education for Malawian children: a qualitative analysis

Nkhalamba, L.; Rylance, S.; Muula, S. A. et al. Human Resources for Health (2021) CC

Background Asthma education, a key component of long-term asthma management, is challenging in resource-limited settings with shortages of clinical staff. Task-shifting educational roles to lay (non-clinical) staff is a potential solution. We condu... more