The Integration of HIV/AIDS Care and Support into Primary Health Care in Gauteng Province

The information contained in this publication may be freely distributed and reproduced, as long as the source is acknowledged, and it is used for non-commercial purposes.This study aimed to assess the integration of HIV/AIDS care and support in Gauteng’s primary health care (PHC) services. With this aim in mind, the research sought to provide answers to three main sets of questions. Firstly, are care and support services for people with HIV/AIDS being provided at PHC clinics, what is the quality of these services, and to what extent are these services being utilised? Secondly, are the inputs (e.g. staff knowledge and attitudes) and support systems (e.g. drug supplies), necessary for good quality, accessible HIV/AIDS care, present in the PHC infrastructure? Thirdly, what if any, systems changes are required to improve the access and quality of PHC services for people living with HIV/AIDS? This research was conducted in collaboration with, and partly funded by, the Gauteng Provincial Department of Health which is in the process of disseminating primary health care clinical guidelines in the Province.Funders of the Health Systems Trust include : Department of Health (South Africa) Department for International Development (UK) Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (USA) Commission of the European Union Rockefeller Foundatio

HIV Risk Behaviors in Sub-Saharan Africa and Northern Thailand: Baseline Behavioral Data From Project Accept

Of 2.5 million new HIV infections worldwide in 2007, most occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. We present the baseline data on HIV risk behaviors and HIV testing in Sub-Saharan Africa and northern Thailand from Project Accept, a community-randomized controlled trial of community mobilization, mobile voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), and post-test support services

'I believe that the staff have reduced their closeness to patients': an exploratory study on the impact of HIV/AIDS on staff in four rural hospitals in Uganda

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Staff shortages could harm the provision and quality of health care in Uganda, so staff retention and motivation are crucial. Understanding the impact of HIV/AIDS on staff contributes to designing appropriate retention and motivation strategies. This research aimed 'to identify the influence of HIV/AIDS on staff working in general hospitals at district level in rural areas and to explore support required and offered to deal with HIV/AIDS in the workplace'. Its results were to inform strategies to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on hospital staff.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional study with qualitative and quantitative components was implemented during two weeks in September 2005. Data were collected in two government and two faith-based private not-for-profit hospitals purposively selected in rural districts in Uganda's Central Region. Researchers interviewed 237 people using a structured questionnaire and held four focus group discussions and 44 in-depth interviews.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>HIV/AIDS places both physical and, to some extent, emotional demands on health workers. Eighty-six per cent of respondents reported an increased workload, with 48 per cent regularly working overtime, while 83 per cent feared infection at work, and 36 per cent reported suffering an injury in the previous year. HIV-positive staff remained in hiding, and most staff did not want to get tested as they feared stigmatization. Organizational responses were implemented haphazardly and were limited to providing protective materials and the HIV/AIDS-related services offered to patients. Although most staff felt motivated to work, not being motivated was associated with a lack of daily supervision, a lack of awareness on the availability of HIV/AIDS counselling, using antiretrovirals and working overtime. The specific hospital context influenced staff perceptions and experiences.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>HIV/AIDS is a crucially important contextual factor, impacting on working conditions in various ways. Therefore, organizational responses should be integrated into responses to other problematic working conditions and adapted to the local context. Opportunities already exist, such as better use of supervision, educational sessions and staff meetings. However, exchanges on interventions to improve staff motivation and address HIV/AIDS in the health sector are urgently required, including information on results and details of the context and implementation process.</p

Age-Related Differences in Socio-demographic and Behavioral Determinants of HIV Testing and Counseling in HPTN 043/NIMH Project Accept

Youth represent a large proportion of new HIV infections worldwide, yet their utilization of HIV testing and counseling (HTC) remains low. Using the post-intervention, cross-sectional, population-based household survey done in 2011 as part of HPTN 043/NIMH Project Accept, a cluster-randomized trial of community mobilization and mobile HTC in South Africa (Soweto and KwaZulu Natal), Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Thailand, we evaluated age-related differences among socio-demographic and behavioral determinants of HTC in study participants by study arm, site, and gender. A multivariate logistic regression model was developed using complete individual data from 13,755 participants with recent HIV testing (prior 12 months) as the outcome. Youth (18–24 years) was not predictive of recent HTC, except for high-risk youth with multiple concurrent partners, who were less likely (aOR 0.75; 95% CI 0.61–0.92) to have recently been tested than youth reporting a single partner. Importantly, the intervention was successful in reaching men with site specific success ranging from aOR 1.27 (95% CI 1.05–1.53) in South Africa to aOR 2.30 in Thailand (95% CI 1.85–2.84). Finally, across a diverse range of settings, higher education (aOR 1.67; 95% CI 1.42, 1.96), higher socio-economic status (aOR 1.21; 95% CI 1.08–1.36), and marriage (aOR 1.55; 95% CI 1.37–1.75) were all predictive of recent HTC, which did not significantly vary across study arm, site, gender or age category (18–24 vs. 25–32 years)

Electrochemical study of cerium (IV) and its complexes with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (DTPA) ligands as potential electrolytes for redox flow batteries

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Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy study of Ce(IV) with aminopolycarboxylate ligands for redox flow batteries applications

The electrochemical behaviour of cerium with ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (Ce(IV)-EDTA), ethylenediamine disuccinate (Ce(IV)-EDDS), nitrilotriacetic acid (Ce(IV)-NTA) and diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Ce(IV)-DTPA on a platinum electrode were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for redox flow batteries (RFB) application. The EIS results confirm the results from CV and were in good agreement with obtained data. Ce(IV)-DTPA results show the least resistance and faster electron transfer compared to Ce(IV)-EDTA, Ce(IV)-EDDS, Ce(IV)-NTA. The diffusion coefficient of 1.1 × 10 -6 cm 2 s -1, rate constant of 1.6 × 10 -4 cm s -1, electrolyte resistance of 1.2 Ω were obtained. A single cell charge/discharge performance of Ce(IV)-DTPA shows as promise for possible application in RFB systems, because of the higher energy and voltage achieved. Therefore, Ce(IV)-DTPA will be a suitable RFB electrolyte compared to Ce(IV), Ce(IV)-EDTA, Ce(IV)-EDDS and Ce(IV)-NTA due to most favoured reversibility and electrochemical properties. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Kinetics of the charge/discharge characteristics of redox flow battery electrolytes

A comparison of the electrochemical behavior of Ce(IV) and its complexes of ethylenedi-aminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), ethylenedia-minedisuccinic acid (EDDS), and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and rotating disc electrode (RDE) on Pt-electrode were carried out. All complexes had an anodic cathodic ratio greater than 1. The Ce(IV)-DTPA had the best properties: highest peak potential, better reversibility, and higher peak current. Potential usage of the Ce(IV)-DTPA in redox flow batteries (RFB) was confirmed by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results: lowest electrolyte and charge transfer resistance. The performance evaluation of RFB employing Ce(IV) and Ce(IV) complexes of DTPA and EDTA with constant current charge/discharge analysis proved that CE(IV)-DTPA complex has a potential as an anode in RFB. A maximum potential of 1V and a minimum voltage of 2 V were achieved. Highest energy, voltage, and coulombic efficiencies of 85%, 93%, and 92% were obtained, respectively. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.Articl