Global Health Hub: news and blogosphere aggregator » Infectious Disease http://www.globalhealthhub.org Keeping up with global health & development news, blogosphere, forums, events, jobs and more Tue, 21 May 2013 01:51:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 FDA to Convene Meeting on HIV Patient-Focused Drug Development and HIV Cure… http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/20/fda-to-convene-meeting-on-hiv-patient-focused-drug-development-and-hiv-cure/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/20/fda-to-convene-meeting-on-hiv-patient-focused-drug-development-and-hiv-cure/#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 23:59:00 +0000 AIDS.gov http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/20/fda-to-convene-meeting-on-hiv-patient-focused-drug-development-and-hiv-cure/ By Richard Klein, Patient Liaison Program Director, Office of Health and Constituent Affairs, Food and Drug AdministrationThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants to talk to people living with HIV (PLWH) and HIV/AIDS advocates. On June 14, under its Patient-Focused Drug Development initiative, FDA will ask PLWH to join an open public discussion about: the impact of HIV on daily your life, experience with currently available therapies to treat HIV, your views on issues related to HIV cure research, including perceived benefits and acceptable risk for participating in HIV cure research, and how best to ensure clear communication of potential benefits and possible risks through informed consent. This discussion is intended to help improve drug development and treatment, and get patients’ perspective into HIV cure research. The meeting takes place on June 14, 2013, from 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM at FDA’s White Oak Campus, located at: 10903 New Hampshire Avenue Building 31, (in The Great Room) Silver Spring, Maryland 20993 There is no cost to attend, but if you would like to attend, please register by June 5.

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FDA to Convene Meeting on HIV Patient-Focused Drug Development and HIV Cure…

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/20/fda-to-convene-meeting-on-hiv-patient-focused-drug-development-and-hiv-cure/feed/ 0 A Minute with an NTD Expert: David Addiss, Director, Children Without Worms http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/20/a-minute-with-an-ntd-expert-david-addiss-director-children-without-worms/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/20/a-minute-with-an-ntd-expert-david-addiss-director-children-without-worms/#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 22:40:00 +0000 End the Neglect http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/20/a-minute-with-an-ntd-expert-david-addiss-director-children-without-worms/ ; At the recent “Uniting to Combat NTDs: Translating the London Declaration into Action,” we had a chance to catch up with David Addiss, the director of Children Without Worms (CWW). CWW is a partnership between Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, and the Task Force for Global Health to support the treatment and prevention of infection

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A Minute with an NTD Expert: David Addiss, Director, Children Without Worms

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/20/a-minute-with-an-ntd-expert-david-addiss-director-children-without-worms/feed/ 0 Now we know why old scizophrenia medicine works on antibiotics-resistant bacteria http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/20/now-we-know-why-old-scizophrenia-medicine-works-on-antibiotics-resistant-bacteria/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/20/now-we-know-why-old-scizophrenia-medicine-works-on-antibiotics-resistant-bacteria/#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 13:32:32 +0000 Sara Gorman http://www.globalhealthhub.org/?p=97116 In 2008 researchers from the University of Southern Denmark showed that the drug thioridazine, which has previously been used to treat schizophrenia, is also a powerful weapon against antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus).

via Now we know why old scizophrenia medicine works on antibiotics-resistant bacteria.

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/20/now-we-know-why-old-scizophrenia-medicine-works-on-antibiotics-resistant-bacteria/feed/ 0 Scientists Race to Contain Malaria: New Discoveries, More Resistance http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/20/scientists-race-to-contain-malaria-new-discoveries-more-resistance/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/20/scientists-race-to-contain-malaria-new-discoveries-more-resistance/#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 13:19:08 +0000 GHHub http://www.globalhealthhub.org/?p=97079 Two new medical discoveries are raising hopes of containing malaria – the mosquito-borne parasitic disease that each year infects more than 200 million people and claims an estimated 660 thousand lives.  Meantime, the World Health Organization is warning about dire consequences if a drug-resistant form of malaria spreads beyond southeast Asia.

via Scientists Race to Contain Malaria: New Discoveries, More Resistance.

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/20/scientists-race-to-contain-malaria-new-discoveries-more-resistance/feed/ 0 Characterizing PvARP, a novel Plasmodium vivax antigen http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/20/characterizing-pvarp-a-novel-plasmodium-vivax-antigen/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/20/characterizing-pvarp-a-novel-plasmodium-vivax-antigen/#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000 Malaria Journal http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/20/characterizing-pvarp-a-novel-plasmodium-vivax-antigen/

Background: Plasmodium vivax continues to be the most widely distributed malarial parasite species in tropical and sub-tropical areas, causing high morbidity indices around the world. Better understanding of the proteins used by the parasite during the invasion of red blood cells is required to obtain an effective vaccine against this disease. This study describes characterizing the P. vivax asparagine-rich protein (PvARP) and examines its antigenicity in natural infection. Methods: The target gene in the study was selected according to a previous in silico analysis using profile hidden Markov models which identified P.

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Characterizing PvARP, a novel Plasmodium vivax antigen

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/20/characterizing-pvarp-a-novel-plasmodium-vivax-antigen/feed/ 0 HIV Vaccine Awareness Day Bulletin http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/hiv-vaccine-awareness-day-bulletin/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/hiv-vaccine-awareness-day-bulletin/#comments Sat, 18 May 2013 04:41:00 +0000 AIDS.gov http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/hiv-vaccine-awareness-day-bulletin/ By AIDS.gov Cross-posted from NIAID, NIHThe implementation of scientifically proven HIV prevention strategies is helping to reduce the number of new infections — the annual HIV infection rate globally fell by 22 percent from 2001 to 2011 — but a great deal more must be done. Significant scale-up of proven HIV prevention strategies coupled with the discovery of new HIV treatment and prevention interventions are needed to achieve an end to the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. A safe, effective and durable HIV vaccine is an essential cornerstone to the long-term strategy to achieve this goal. Developing a safe and effective HIV vaccine has been a long and difficult process largely because HIV has proven to be an especially tough target. Recent developments with the HVTN 505 clinical trial and analyses from the HVTN 503 “Phambili” vaccine study have been disappointing, but they also provided clear answers about investigational vaccine strategies that, ultimately, were not effective.

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HIV Vaccine Awareness Day Bulletin

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/hiv-vaccine-awareness-day-bulletin/feed/ 0 May 19th is National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/may-19th-is-national-asian-pacific-islander-hivaids-awareness-day/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/may-19th-is-national-asian-pacific-islander-hivaids-awareness-day/#comments Sat, 18 May 2013 04:36:00 +0000 AIDS.gov http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/may-19th-is-national-asian-pacific-islander-hivaids-awareness-day/ By Howard K. Koh, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesDr. Howard Koh As we celebrate Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Heritage Month and the many accomplishments of AAPIs, we also want to recognize that these communities still face many barriers to health and health care, including HIV/AIDS. To recognize these challenges, May 19th has been designated as the National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

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May 19th is National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/may-19th-is-national-asian-pacific-islander-hivaids-awareness-day/feed/ 0 The Lancet publishes a special issue to coincide with the upcoming Women… http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/the-lancet-publishes-a-special-issue-to-coincide-with-the-upcoming-women/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/the-lancet-publishes-a-special-issue-to-coincide-with-the-upcoming-women/#comments Sat, 18 May 2013 00:25:00 +0000 Maternal Health Task force http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/the-lancet-publishes-a-special-issue-to-coincide-with-the-upcoming-women/

The Lancet has published a special issue, focused on maternal health, that comes just before the third Women Deliver conference to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This exciting issue includes several studies and comments that examine the critical factors … Continue reading →

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The Lancet publishes a special issue to coincide with the upcoming Women…

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/the-lancet-publishes-a-special-issue-to-coincide-with-the-upcoming-women/feed/ 0 May 18th HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD): A Conversation with Dr. Carl… http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/may-18th-hiv-vaccine-awareness-day-hvad-a-conversation-with-dr-carl/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/may-18th-hiv-vaccine-awareness-day-hvad-a-conversation-with-dr-carl/#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 23:42:00 +0000 AIDS.gov http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/may-18th-hiv-vaccine-awareness-day-hvad-a-conversation-with-dr-carl/ By Miguel Gomez, Director, AIDS.gov, and Senior Communications Advisor, Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesMay 18th is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD), led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health. We spoke to Dr. Carl Dieffenbach at NIH, who had this to say about HIV Vaccine Awareness Day: “[On Vaccine Awareness Day] we can take a moment to acknowledge the study participants who have given their time, their energy, .

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May 18th HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD): A Conversation with Dr. Carl…

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/may-18th-hiv-vaccine-awareness-day-hvad-a-conversation-with-dr-carl/feed/ 0 Hepatitis Testing Day http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/hepatitis-testing-day/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/hepatitis-testing-day/#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 23:24:00 +0000 AIDS.gov http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/hepatitis-testing-day/ By Ronald Valdiserri, M.D., M.P.H., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Infectious Diseases, and Director, Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesDr. Ronald Valdiserri This week, we mark the second annual observance of Hepatitis Testing Day. Establishment of this national health awareness day on May 19 was called for in the Action Plan for the Prevention, Care and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis as part of efforts to decrease health disparities by raising greater public and health care provider awareness, particularly among those populations most affected by hepatitis B and C infections. To achieve the goals of the Action Plan, we must address the fact that millions of Americans have chronic hepatitis, but most of them do not know they are infected.

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Hepatitis Testing Day

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/hepatitis-testing-day/feed/ 0 Digital Storytelling: “Taking Root” to End Stigma and Raise Awareness http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/digital-storytelling-taking-root-to-end-stigma-and-raise-awareness/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/digital-storytelling-taking-root-to-end-stigma-and-raise-awareness/#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 20:20:00 +0000 AIDS.gov http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/digital-storytelling-taking-root-to-end-stigma-and-raise-awareness/ By Stephanie Goss, B.A., Communications Manager, Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness CenterThe Banyan Tree Project launched Taking Root: Our Stories, Our Community last year for May 19, the National Asian & Pacific Islander (A&PI) HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Taking Root puts the power to end HIV stigma back in the hands of the community through a community-driven, community-owned digital storytelling initiative. Since then, we have held four workshops in California, Hawai’i, and Guam, where A&PIs living with or affected by HIV produced their own true, authentic, and unfiltered stories about their lived experiences with HIV and stigma. By the end of 2013, we will have completed three more workshops in San Francisco, San Diego and Cincinnati, OH. Asians & Pacific Islanders comprise over 50 different ethnic groups speaking over 100 different languages

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Digital Storytelling: “Taking Root” to End Stigma and Raise Awareness

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/digital-storytelling-taking-root-to-end-stigma-and-raise-awareness/feed/ 0 Moving Forward on HIV Vaccine Awareness Day http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/moving-forward-on-hiv-vaccine-awareness-day/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/moving-forward-on-hiv-vaccine-awareness-day/#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 14:23:00 +0000 AIDS.gov http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/moving-forward-on-hiv-vaccine-awareness-day/ By Nelson L. Michael, M.D., Ph.D., Colonel, Medical Corps, U.S. Army, Director, U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of ResearchCol.

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Moving Forward on HIV Vaccine Awareness Day

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/moving-forward-on-hiv-vaccine-awareness-day/feed/ 0 Yellow fever vaccination booster not needed http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/yellow-fever-vaccination-booster-not-needed/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/yellow-fever-vaccination-booster-not-needed/#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 14:16:00 +0000 WHO News http://www.globalhealthhub.org/?p=96798 17 May 2013 — The yellow fever ‘booster’ vaccination given ten years after the initial vaccination is not necessary, according to WHO.

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Yellow fever vaccination booster not needed

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/yellow-fever-vaccination-booster-not-needed/feed/ 0 This Week in PLOS NTDs and PLOS Pathogens: Targeting Schistosome Receptors;… http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/this-week-in-plos-ntds-and-plos-pathogens-targeting-schistosome-receptors/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/this-week-in-plos-ntds-and-plos-pathogens-targeting-schistosome-receptors/#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 14:15:00 +0000 PLoS Medicine Blog http://www.globalhealthhub.org/?p=96757

Mysore K, Flannery EM, Tomchaney M, Severson DW, Duman-Scheel M (2013) Disruption of Aedes aegypti Olfactory System Development through Chitosan/siRNA Nanoparticle Targeting of semaphorin-1a. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 7(5): e2215. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0002215 The following new articles are publishing in PLOS NTDs this week: There is not yet a vaccine for schistosomiasis and treatment presently relies on a single drug, praziquantel, which has shown cases of reduced efficacy in certain areas, raising serious concerns about the need to develop a new therapy. In this paper, Dr. Mathieu Vanderstraete and colleagues have investigated the possibility of fighting Schistosoma mansoni by targeting key receptors involved in the parasite’s glucose uptake, metabolism and reproduction

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This Week in PLOS NTDs and PLOS Pathogens: Targeting Schistosome Receptors;…

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/this-week-in-plos-ntds-and-plos-pathogens-targeting-schistosome-receptors/feed/ 0 Malaria in Malawi: 200 Cases a Day http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/malaria-in-malawi-200-cases-a-day/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/malaria-in-malawi-200-cases-a-day/#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 14:14:00 +0000 PIH http://www.globalhealthhub.org/?p=96766

Photo: Rebecca E. Rollins/Partners In Health Two hundred people: That’s the average number of patients testing positive for malaria each day of the month-long rainy season at a single hospital in Malawi. Malaria attacks red blood cells, which become infected by parasite-carrying mosquitos. Photo: Rebecca E. Rollins/Partners In Health Once inside the bloodstream, the parasites multiply in the liver, causing flu-like symptoms such as fever and chills.

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Malaria in Malawi: 200 Cases a Day

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/malaria-in-malawi-200-cases-a-day/feed/ 0 Effect of HIV infection on pregnancy-related mortality in sub-Saharan Africa: secondary analyses of pooled community-based data from the network for Analysing Longitudinal Population-based HIV/AIDS data on Africa (ALPHA) http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/effect-of-hiv-infection-on-pregnancy-related-mortality-in-sub-saharan-africa-secondary-analyses-of-pooled-community-based-data-from-the-network-for-analysing-longitudinal-population-based-hivaids-da/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/effect-of-hiv-infection-on-pregnancy-related-mortality-in-sub-saharan-africa-secondary-analyses-of-pooled-community-based-data-from-the-network-for-analysing-longitudinal-population-based-hivaids-da/#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 14:06:00 +0000 GHHub http://www.globalhealthhub.org/?p=96898 Model-based estimates of the global proportions of maternal deaths that are in HIV-infected women range from 7% to 21%, and the effects of HIV on the risk of maternal death is highly uncertain. We used longitudinal data from the Analysing Longitudinal Population-based HIV/AIDS data on Africa (ALPHA) network to estimate the excess mortality associated with HIV during pregnancy and the post-partum period in sub-Saharan Africa.

via Effect of HIV infection on pregnancy-related mortality in sub-Saharan Africa: secondary analyses of pooled community-based data from the network for Analysing Longitudinal Population-based HIV/AIDS data on Africa (ALPHA) : The Lancet.

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/effect-of-hiv-infection-on-pregnancy-related-mortality-in-sub-saharan-africa-secondary-analyses-of-pooled-community-based-data-from-the-network-for-analysing-longitudinal-population-based-hivaids-da/feed/ 0 Maternal deaths and HIV treatment in sub-Saharan Africa http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/maternal-deaths-and-hiv-treatment-in-sub-saharan-africa/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/maternal-deaths-and-hiv-treatment-in-sub-saharan-africa/#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 13:48:11 +0000 GHHub http://www.globalhealthhub.org/?p=96886 In the past 30 years, reduction of maternal mortality has been a prominent focus in global public health. Improvements in women’s reproductive health and antenatal and obstetric services mean that Millennium Development Goal 5 (target A of which aims to reduce maternal mortality by 75% between 1990 and 2015) has come within sight in many countries, most notably in Latin America and Asia. Yet across sub-Saharan Africa, maternal mortality has been an intractable problem. More than 50% of all maternal deaths occur in Africa, and the maternal mortality ratio in sub-Saharan Africa is more than double the global average

via Maternal deaths and HIV treatment in sub-Saharan Africa : The Lancet.

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/maternal-deaths-and-hiv-treatment-in-sub-saharan-africa/feed/ 0 Hepatitis C in the USA and Europe: two problems, one solution http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/hepatitis-c-in-the-usa-and-europe-two-problems-one-solution/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/hepatitis-c-in-the-usa-and-europe-two-problems-one-solution/#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 13:35:53 +0000 GHHub http://www.globalhealthhub.org/?p=96865 Nearly half of Americans who test positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with an initial antibody test do not receive the follow-up RNA testing that is necessary to show whether they have recovered or have an ongoing infection. If left untreated, ongoing infection could lead to serious liver disease and death. This worrying finding comes from a new study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In about 20% of cases, the body clears HCV infection unaided, but most people need treatment—typically pegylated interferon and ribavirin. About 3 million Americans are thought to have hepatitis C, but because the disorder can be asymptomatic for years, only a quarter know that they are infected. In Europe, an estimated 9 million people are infected, but only half have been diagnosed.

via Hepatitis C in the USA and Europe: two problems, one solution : The Lancet.

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/hepatitis-c-in-the-usa-and-europe-two-problems-one-solution/feed/ 0 Influence of health rights discourses and community organizing on equitable… http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/influence-of-health-rights-discourses-and-community-organizing-on-equitable/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/influence-of-health-rights-discourses-and-community-organizing-on-equitable/#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000 GlobalizationAndHealth http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/influence-of-health-rights-discourses-and-community-organizing-on-equitable/

Background: The right to health is recognized as a fundamental human right. Social participation is implied in the fulfillment of health rights since Alma Ata posited its relevance for successful health programs, although a wide range of interpretations has been observed for this term. While Peruvian law recognizes community and social participation in health, it was the GFATM requirement of mixed public-civil society participation in Country Coordination Mechanisms (CCM) for proposal submission what effectively led to formal community involvement in the national response to HIV and, to a lesser extent, tuberculosis. This has not been the case, however, for other chronic diseases in Peru. This study aims to describe and compare the role of health rights discourse and community involvement in the national response to HIV, tuberculosis and cancer

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Influence of health rights discourses and community organizing on equitable…

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/influence-of-health-rights-discourses-and-community-organizing-on-equitable/feed/ 0 Social and economic determinants of unequal HIV care access among people… http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/social-and-economic-determinants-of-unequal-hiv-care-access-among-people/ http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/social-and-economic-determinants-of-unequal-hiv-care-access-among-people/#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000 GlobalizationAndHealth http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/social-and-economic-determinants-of-unequal-hiv-care-access-among-people/

Background: Equity in access to health care among people living with HIV (PLHA) has not been extensively studied in Peru despite the fact there is significant social diversity within this group. We aimed to assess the extent to which health care provision to PLHA, including ARVT, was equitable and, if appropriate, identify factors associated with lower access. Methods: We conducted a survey among adult PLHA in four cities in Peru, recruited through respondent-driven sampling (RDS), to collect information on socio-demographic characteristics, social network size, household welfare, economic activity, use of HIV-related services including ARV treatment, and health-related out-of-pocket expenses. Results: Between September 2008 and January 2009, 863 individuals from PLHA organizations in four cities of Peru were enrolled. Median age was 35 (IQR = 29–41), and mostly male (62%)

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Social and economic determinants of unequal HIV care access among people…

]]> http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2013/05/17/social-and-economic-determinants-of-unequal-hiv-care-access-among-people/feed/ 0