pandemic: my country is o n i ts knees
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Pandemic: My Country Is O n I ts Knees. Ellen Chan Rebecca Finch Courtney Kappes Gretchen Landgraf April 20, 2011. Key Concepts. The HIV & AIDS epidemic is devastating Africa – Brain Drain – The emigration of skilled professionals from one country to another - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Photo Credit: Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau
Pandemic:My Country Is On Its Knees
Ellen ChanRebecca FinchCourtney KappesGretchen Landgraf
April 20, 2011
Key Concepts The HIV & AIDS epidemic is devastating Africa –
Brain Drain – The emigration of skilled professionals from one country to
another Change in Family Structure –
Grandmothers taking care of grandchildren “child-headed households”
Lack of ACCESS and an excess of STIGMA Death and “passing” –
During 2009 – 1.3 million people died in Africa from AIDS Hunger and Malnutrition –
The HIV & AIDS epidemic is compounded by Africa’s severe lack of food and malnutrition
Epidemiology Triangle
Most African countries lack all components of a model for wellness: Appraisal of health risk by clinicians Funding for widespread behavior and therapeutic interventions Adequate public health and social services
Current AIDS Related Statistics
Region
Adults & children living with HIV/AIDS
Adults & children newly infected
Adult prevalence
AIDS-related deaths in
Sub-Saharan Africa 22.5 million 1.8 million 5.00% 1.3 million
North Africa & Middle East 460,000 75,000 0.20% 24,000
Global Total 33.3 million 2.6 million 0.80% 1.8 million
About 16.6 million children were orphaned from AIDS in 2009
http://www.avert.org/aids-orphans.htmhttp://www.avert.org/africa-hiv-aids-statistics.htm
Health Care Systems Org & Delivery Nominal Public Policy
When CD4 count drops below 200, a person requires treatment of antiretroviral drugs
Health Care Delivery Overcrowded University Teaching Hospitals, Hospitals,
Clinics, Hospices Many primarily supported by international NGOs “Home Based Care”
Promising practices Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) &
PMTCT-PLUS program
International Coordination Consortium of American foundations led by
Rockefeller Foundation directed by Columbia School of Public Health Initiated PMTCT-Plus at number of facilities across Africa
Doctors without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres) 1100 in treatment 2500 on list for future treatment
programs UN World Food Programme
Held workshop about HIV prevention to truck drivers Mercy Corp
Peer Education and Youth Empowerment Programshttp://www.mercycorps.org/topics/hivaids/15550
Community Support Catholic AIDS Action People Living With AIDS Community based organization for commercial
sex workers Encourages safe sex and provides condoms
Residential School for Orphan Girls Recovery, acclimatization, academe
Results: No stigma! Universal availability of free treatment and HIV counseling, Empowerment, & Self-confidence
FinancingInternational Funding
Private International NGOs Rockefeller Group, Mercy Corp,
Columbia University Advocated by International
Celebrities
Local Income Generating Projects Miniature Papier-Mache Coffin
Fabrication Community Grown Cabbage
Patches Profits go towards purchasing
coffins
$$$
Challenges or Erected Barriers? Africa’s circumstances result in treating care as
market justice, but the poverty of the population forms a permanent barrier to access under this approach
Results in maldistribution of access to this resource, as with nutrition/food
Cultural inhibitors: widespread socio-economic disparity between leaders and populations
Ostracism and banishment by those not infected Children and grandmothers raising families – a
missing generation
Recommendations and Solutions Education
HIV prevention by condom adoption Empowerment and rebuilding of self-esteem
Treatment Simple medication with big differences Universal availability of treatment and counseling
Eradicating Stigma Elimination of prejudice and intolerance
Other Recommendations Set country-specific, reasonable targets by
achievable percentage of GDP to health Supply-side approach instead of one-size-fits-all
Focus on resources available and build infrastructure Medical delivery capability
“Cheap” solutions can make huge differences Education on higher HIV infection rates among older
men Mechanisms to drive discussions on condom adoption “Cabbages and Condoms” restaurants in Thailand
Bossert, T. J., and Ono, T. (2010). Finding affordable health workforce targets in low-income nations. Health Affairs, 29:7, 1376-1382.http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/3395.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/06/world/africa/06aids.html
Discussion How can governments and NGOs sustainably
support community based solutions to social and economic disparities with respect to the AIDS epidemic?
How can small scale successes be expanded regionally? Who should be responsible for the necessary infrastructure and implementation of larger scale ventures?